From LAcNet special correspondent in Sri Lanka. Government troops and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam fought pitched battles east of Vadamarachi last night, when troops broke out their forward defence lines to launch a limited operation.

The military's official arm, the Operational Headquarters spokesman in Colombo said that they were awaiting for reports from the wart-torn northern province.

Thousands of Refugees block government officials distributing relief items.

Hundreds of thousands refugees displaced due to the on-going battles between government troops and LTTE blocked the vehicles of Jaffna Kacheri officials demanding they been relocated in safer areas.

The blockade begun, when the officials arrived at a village in Kilai to distribute three lory loads of dry rations to those who fled Pallai, a village east of Kilali where troops and LTTE cadres have been involved in bitter fighting for the past one week which had left hundreds of soldiers dead and another 600 wounded.

The protesters will converge at the Lipton Circus and are expected to march to Temple Trees, the official residence of President of Chandrika Kumaratunge to hand over a peitition signed by those opposed to the mediation.