There has been heavy fighting between the Sri Lankan forces and Tamil Tiger rebels in the north, a day after two Red Cross staff were killed.
The rebels say they have killed at least 30 soldiers, and soldiers claim to have killed more than 50 rebels.
The claims by both sides could not be independently verified.
Despite a truce on paper, Sri Lanka has been sliding back towards civil war and more than 4,000 people have been killed in the violence in the past 15 months.
A rebel spokesman said they taken government-held positions between Vavuniya and Mannar, killing at least 30 soldiers and capturing military vehicles and long-range weapons.
The Sri Lankan government said it had repulsed a drive by the rebels and killed more than 50 of them.
The fighting came ahead of the arrival in the region on Tuesday of Japan's special peace envoy, Yasushi Akashi.
Earlier, two Red Cross volunteers were abducted and killed by gunmen claiming to be police. Their bodies were found in the central town of Ratnapura.
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