A military spokesman, Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe, said government forces carried out a three-day operation against the rebels in the coastal district of Trincomalee.

There's been no official confirmation from the rebels.

Talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers broke down last year.

Correspondents say although the ceasefire is still officially in place, the country has been sliding back towards war.

An independent body overseeing the ceasefire says more than four thousand people have been killed since the truce was agreed five years ago.