The bodies of the troops were passed on to the military by the International Committee of the Red Cross said Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.

Tamil Tiger rebels have handed over the remains of twenty-nine soldiers in the past few days.

Earlier, the military said several soldiers went missing after battles in Akkaranyankulam and Nachchikuda.

Fighting has intensified in recent months in Sri Lanka, with the army trying to crush the rebels -- as it pledged to do.