The Sri Lankan military says a wave of new fighting across the embattled northern region has killed 32 ethnic Tamil rebels and four government soldiers.

Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara says the latest battles took place in Mannar, Vavuniya, Jaffna and Welioya regions bordering the rebels’ de facto state in the north throughout Tuesday.

It is not possible to get independent accounts of the clashes because the war zone is restricted to journalists.