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Fresh fighting grips northern Sri Lanka.

COLOMBO: Fresh fighting erupted between Sri Lankan troops and Tamil Tiger rebels after an abortive dawn guerrilla sea attack on Monday, a navy spokesman said.

He declined to give casualty figures from the fighting at Chempiyanpattu, 320 km, north of the capital, but unconfirmed reports said the navy sank two rebel boats.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have failed to retake the northern Jaffna peninsula in recent months after attacks on the Elephant Pass base, an isthmus that connects northern Jaffna with the rest of the island.

The former LTTE stronghold of Jaffna is currently under government control.

The rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the island's north and east since 1983. Nearly 60,000 people have been killed in ethnic war.-Reuters