Fierce fighting between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels in northern and eastern Sri Lanka has left at least 127 dead and another 280 wounded.
A military spokesperson said that the Tamil Tigers used a force of 400 to 500 fighters to attack the de facto front line in the Jaffna peninsula and a nearby islet.
The military confirmed 27 of their forces were killed, with a further 80 injured.
Meanwhile, the island's chief truce monitor has accued Sri Lankan authorities of deliberately hampering efforts to investigate the murder of 17 aid workers.
Some of the victims' relatives have blamed the military for the killings.
