ICRC has regularly visited five soldiers in LTTE custody

ICRC Information Officer, Sarasi Wijeratne, told BBC Sandeshaya that four Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel and one Sri Lanka Army (SLA) personnel are currently held by the LTTE.

The five military personnel who have been in custody since last year are in good health, she said, and were once allowed a family visit by the LTTE.

112 bodies handed over

The ICRC said only 112 bodies were transfered between the parties since the beginning of this year.

"The ICRC does not have a breakdown of how many bodies from the government side and how many bodies from the LTTE," she told BBCSinhala.com.

	ICRC says only 112 bodies were handed over by both parties

The bodies were handed over to the ICRC in three different locations; in Mannar, Vavuniya and Weli Oya.

In LTTE controlled areas, hospital authorities in Kilinochchi handed over the bodies to transfer through Omanthai checkpoint, the ICRC said.

Sri Lanka authorities earlier told the BBC that over 2000 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in fighting this year.

When questioned of what happens to the bodies, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told BBC Sandeshaya that the military do not usually collect them as it would put soldiers' lives in danger.

Only about 200 armed force personnel were killed since January, according to government's Media Centre for National Security (MCNS).

No independant reports

BBC's Roland Buerk in Colombo says that journalists are barred from the conflict areas, and Nordic ceasefire monitors left the island when the truce formally came to an end in January, so there can be no independent confirmation.

The Tigers themselves are not putting out many figures of their own.

Meanwhile, military officials on Monday said at least thirty Tamil Tiger rebels have been killed in fresh clashes over the past days in the north.

The defence ministry said three soldiers were killed in the fighting, which took place mostly on the front lines that surround territory held by the rebels.

There's been no comment from the Tamil Tigers and the government claims could not be independently verified.

The fighting in northern Sri Lanka has intensified in recent months amid government promises to capture territory held by the rebels.