COLOMBO, 31 August 2006 — Schools in Sri Lanka’s northern Jaffna Peninsula reopened for the first time in nearly three weeks yesterday, an official said, as the military continued to pound rebel-held areas in the east, sending hundreds fleeing from the shelling.

Sri Lanka’s north and east have recently seen some of the bloodiest battles between ethnic Tamil rebels and security forces since a 2002 cease-fire that has all but disintegrated in recent months.

Hundreds of people have been killed and more than 204,000 made homeless by the near-daily shelling, air strikes and artillery since late July.

President Mahinda Rajapakse on Tuesday flew to Britain where he is expected to discuss the current conflict with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the government said.

“It is a private visit, but you cannot have a meeting with the Sri Lankan president without discussing this situation. The humanitarian issue will be the top priority,” government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said.

The military launched a major assault on Sunday to retake Sampur, a Tiger-held enclave in the east, which it claimed posed a threat to the strategic Trincomalee naval base.

“Today, they (the army) shelled for an hour and showed signs of troop advance, but when we confronted them, they stopped,” S. Elilan, the rebels’ political leader in the east said yesterday.

He said the army tried to advance into the Tiger-held territory from two sides. “But soldiers who came from one side retreated after we caused them heavy casualties and the other group still remains closer to our defense line.” Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said security forces have been successful in destroying the rebels’ fire power.

“We are neutralizing their artillery fire. We are doing it successfully.” The military said 101 insurgents and 13 soldiers have been killed in the combined army, navy and air force operation since Sunday.

The rebels reported 82 deaths — 50 government soldiers, 12 rebel fighters and 20 civilians.

The four days of shelling and air strikes have also sent hundreds of families fleeing from their homes around the Sampur area, the International Committee of the Red Cross said, citing a local aid agency.

Observers say that while death tolls provided by the military and rebels are unreliable, August is shaping up to be one of the bloodiest months since the cease-fire.

“August has seen the biggest escalation of offensive action by both sides,” said Jeevan Thiagarajah, executive director for the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies, an umbrella group of local and international aid agencies.

“It is certainly one of the bloodiest months.” The Tigers took up arms in 1983, claiming that the country’s 3.2 million Tamils needed a separate homeland to escape the discrimination of the majority Sinhalese.