Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka have been consolidating fresh gains made when they overran several military outposts, inflicting further losses on government forces.
The Tigers say they have captured five more towns in the north-west. They say they have lost 10 fighters in the latest round of fighting; the army says 48 Tigers and nine air force personnel have been killed.
On Thursday, artillery shells fired by the Tigers landed in the government-held town of Vavuniya, killing three civilians.
The BBC's Jannat Jalil in Colombo says the rebel group has now regained all the territory it lost to the Sri Lankan army since 1995, with the exception of Jaffna.
Reports said the Tigers were fortifying their position on the outskirts of Vavuniya. Military officials said the rebels were building bunkers 10-15km from the town.
Click here to see a map of the war zone
Thursday's shelling came as thousands of Vavuniya's mainly Tamil residents began returning, after the Tigers said they had abandoned a planned attack on the town.
With the increase in tension, Vavuniya's streets are deserted and banks and offices are reported to be closed.
The Tigers have apologised for the artillery attack but have asked civilians to keep away from military installations.
Towns captured
The Tigers say they now hold the towns of Periyamadu, Pallamadu, Palampiddi, Thatchanamaruthu and Madu, all of which are in the coastal district of Mannar in the northwest.
The town of Madu is famous in Sri Lanka for its 17th century Roman Catholic shrine and is a popular destination for pilgrims.
The rebel group's latest gains follow the heavy defeats they inflicted on government forces earlier this month, when they overran 10 towns in less than a week.
Our correspondent says the latest Tiger victories would allow them to threaten a strategic highway which links Vavuniya to Mannar.
The military setbacks are being seen as a major embarrassment for President Chandrika Kumaratunga and could hurt her chances of re-election in next month's presidential election.
Both Ms Kumaratunga and her main rival, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, have pledged to hold talks with the Tigers to reach a settlement of the conflict.
The Tamil Tigers are fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east of Sri Lanka.
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Related to this story:
Civilians return to frontline town
(17 Nov 99 | South Asia)
Sri Lanka battle lines drawn
(16 Nov 99 | South Asia)
Analysis: Kumaratunga under pressure
(08 Nov 99 | South Asia)
Civilians flee Sri Lankan town
(11 Nov 99 | South Asia)
Sri Lanka: The ethnic divide
(10 Nov 99 | South Asia)
Extra troops sent to face Tigers
(08 Nov 99 | South Asia)
Sri Lanka's unwinnable war
(04 Aug 99 | Sri Lanka)
Timeline of the Tamil conflict
(28 Jan 98 | South Asia)
Sri Lanka: Searching for a solution
(04 Aug 99 | South Asia)
Internet Links:
Sri Lankan Government Information Department
TamilNet
UNP
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