The Norwegian-led team will travel to a Tamil Tiger-controlled area of Wanni in northern Sri Lanka to meet the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran says rebel controlled radio.

The rebel's radio station, the Voice of the Tigers, made the announcement quoting the chief Tamil negotiator Anton Balasingham who has recently travelled from London to Wanni.

Mr Balasingham said Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister, Vidar Helgesen will lead the team.

The Norwegian-led team is monitoring the ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger's

The development of a joint task force, representing both the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government already raised at the Thai peace-talks last month, will be a focal point of discussion.

The other issue of high security zones controlled by government security forces in the north and the east of the Tamil homeland, will also be on the agenda.

Mr Pabhakaran: May meet Helgessen.

'Destructive elements'

The head of the international ceasefire monitors has warned elements obstructing the peace process have been trying to destabilise the situation.

In a strongly worded statement, Major General Trond Furuhovde said violence, in which ten people were killed in eastern Sri Lanka last week, showed how irresponsible and destructive elements were trying to break the confidence that's been carefully built up during the last eight months of truce.

The BBC correspondent in Colombo, Frances Harrison says, tension is building once again in the east, with curfew now imposed in the town of Akkraipattu, in Ampara district.

Increased co-operation

General Furuhovde's statement said there were elements in Sri Lanka ready to sacrifice the lives of innocent people because they did not want a peaceful solution to the conflict.

But he said he was convinced the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebel group were solidly behind the peace process, even though they might have disloyal members in their ranks involved in violent and irresponsible behaviour.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister initiated peace talks

General Furuhovde said his team of Scandinavian monitors was supporting a process of increasing co-operation and direct meetings between the Tigers and the security forces to try and prevent violence in future.

But he said sometimes he heard complaints from the armed forces that they were being forced to bend over backwards to avoid confrontation.

Discipline

General Furuhovde warned that the army and paramilitaries must avoid using unnecessary force and show discipline and flexibility in dealing with the rebels.

His remarks come after seven people were shot dead by paramilitary police last week as they tried to enter a police camp as a protest demonstration got out of control.

General Furuhovde also made an impassioned plea to the public not to believe rumours or heed calls for strikes and demonstrations that could cause dangerous situations.

His remarks refer to the tendency of rebel Tamil Tiger supporters to call public protests when there are alleged ceasefire violations.

General Furuhovde's warnings come as curfew has been imposed on the town of Akkraipattu in eastern Sri Lanka after a Muslim man was abducted by unknown gunmen.

There are no reports of violence but the abduction has sparked fear of a fresh round of ethnic violence between Muslims and Tamils - something which erupted in June but was quelled by very heavy deployment of troops and police.

The second phase in the peace talks is scheduled to be held later this month.