New Delhi: Sixty-four combatants have been killed in artillery and mortar shelling between the Sri Lankan army and Tamil rebels so far.
The army claims 24 of its men were killed and another 69 wounded in Sunday's attacks around Batticaloa. Forty rebels were also killed in the clash.
Almost 3,000 people, mostly Sinhalese, have fled their homes in Batticaloa and taken refuge in Buddhist temples and schools in neighbouring Trincomalee.
Hospitals are treating scores of soldiers afflicted with shrapnel wounds during the battle. A number of civilians, including children, are among those affected by the fighting.
"The first shell fell on the play ground around 1145 hrs in the morning. There were children playing but no one got hurt. The second one fell under a tree behind the school hall. Some of the children who were under the tree got injured. We left the village after that," says R Sadamali, a school girl.
The latest fighting comes in the wake of the introduction of new anti-terror laws by the government after the failed attempt on the life of President Rajapakse's brother, who is the Defence Secretary.
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