Thursday, September 28 2006 14:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Over 200 civilians have been killed due to intensified fighting between the Sri Lankan troops and Tamil Tiger rebels in the past two months, the island's truce monitors today said and asked the parties to 'move forward' instead of engaging in military confrontation.

The Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said both security forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) escalated open military confrontation since July making a mockery of their 2002 ceasefire.

"As a result of these actions, over 200 civilians have been killed and several thousands are internally displaced," the monitors said in a five-page statement.

The fighting has created a serious humanitarian crisis, the statement added. International relief agencies have said over 200,000 people were displaced by the recent fighting.

The SLMM said the Tigers triggered the latest violence by blocking an irrigation canal in the district of Trincomalee.

The troops also "blatantly violated" the ceasefire by capturing territory previously held by the Tigers in the same district, the monitors said.

"The SLMM would like to underline that the gravity of the violations committed have led to a dangerous escalation in hostilities," SLMM chief Lars Solvberg said.

"It is important that the parties realise the seriousness of the current situation and do whatever there is in their power to move forward instead of engaging in military confrontation." The statement came as peace broker Norway stepped up moves to get the two parties to the negotiating table in early October in a bid to end a seven-month deadlock in negotiations and save the truce in place since 2002.