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| Sri Lanka clashes kill 129 troops | Sri Lanka clashes kill 129 troops |
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| At least 129 Sri Lankan army soldiers were killed in fierce fighting with Tamil Tiger rebels on Wednesday close to the northern city of Jaffna. | At least 129 Sri Lankan army soldiers were killed in fierce fighting with Tamil Tiger rebels on Wednesday close to the northern city of Jaffna. |
| The army said it had collected 55 bodies, while Tamil Tiger rebels handed over 74 more to the Red Cross. | The army said it had collected 55 bodies, while Tamil Tiger rebels handed over 74 more to the Red Cross. |
| The toll is the worst the army has suffered in one day since the 2002 ceasefire called a temporary halt to the country's 23-year civil war. | The toll is the worst the army has suffered in one day since the 2002 ceasefire called a temporary halt to the country's 23-year civil war. |
| Fighting between the two sides has increased markedly over the past year. | Fighting between the two sides has increased markedly over the past year. |
| Army spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe told BBC News that 283 soldiers had also been injured in fighting that lasted from dawn to dusk on Wednesday. | Army spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe told BBC News that 283 soldiers had also been injured in fighting that lasted from dawn to dusk on Wednesday. |
| Disputed figures | |
| It confirmed that 78 other troops were missing, and said it was waiting to perform tests on the bodies handed over by the Tamil Tigers. | |
| One soldier was captured alive by the rebels, Brig Samarasinghe said. | One soldier was captured alive by the rebels, Brig Samarasinghe said. |
| The army said that it had killed 200 rebels, although the Tamil Tigers confirmed losing only 10 troops from their side. | The army said that it had killed 200 rebels, although the Tamil Tigers confirmed losing only 10 troops from their side. |
| Independent confirmation of rebel casualties is impossible to obtain and both sides in the conflict routinely magnify or minimise casualty figures to their benefit. | |
| The fighting has been close to a strategic causeway linking Jaffna to the mainland. | |
| The city is controlled by the government, but sits in the midst of rebel territory at the northern tip of the island. | |
| Ethirajan Anbarasan of the BBC's Tamil Service says that the Sri Lankan army's apparent attempts to gain more territory seem to have backfired. | |
| The intensity of the clashes and the high casualty figures indicate the difficulties, after more than 20 years of civil war, of achieving a military solution to the conflict. | |
| The BBC's Dumeetha Luthra says that talks between the two sides planned for later this month are now hanging in the balance. | |
| Continuing clashes | |
| The clashes lasted up to 12 hours, with residents in the town of Jaffna saying they could hear the noise of heavy artillery in the distance. | |
| An army statement said that air force jets pounded rebel positions on Thursday morning, while rebels continued to shell the army's front line. | |
| Both sides maintain they are acting defensively, our correspondent says, and have retained the right to do so despite agreeing to resume discussions. | |
| The rebels want an independent homeland | |
| On Tuesday, Norway's ambassador to Sri Lanka, Hans Brattskar, told the BBC that the rebels had confirmed they were ready to meet the government on 28 and 29 October in Switzerland. | |
| However, he said the Tigers had told him they could reconsider their decision if the situation on the ground deteriorated. | |
| Thousands of civilians have been caught up in the latest violence, in which hundreds of people have died this year. | |
| The government says it wants to discuss substantive issues which would lead to a long-term solution. | |
| The rebels have been fighting for an independent Tamil homeland for more than 20 years. | |
| Sri Lanka has been close to peace talks before, only for them to fail at the last minute. |