Colombo  - Over 900 civilians left the Tamil rebel-controlled areas in northern Sri Lanka over the weekend as fierce fighting continued between government troops and the rebels, military officials said Sunday.

A group of civilians had left on their own while others were helped by the International Committee of the Red Cross to leave the Mullaitivu area, 395 kilometres north-east of the capital by sea.

Military officials said 423 civilians had traveled Saturday by the ship Green Ocean to reach the north-eastern port city of Trincomalee, an area 60 kilometres south of where the fighting was continuing.

A group of 592 civilians including children and women who had left the rebel controlled areas reached a military forward defence line on Saturday and later moved to a camp for internally-displaced persons.

The movement of civilians out of rebel-controlled area during the past two weeks have dwindled compared to last month where thousands of civilians left the area.

The military claims that rebels are forcibly holding back civilians in an area less than 40 square kilometers.

Government says some 70,000 civilians are trapped in the area, but UN agencies say there may be around 150,000 civilians in the area.

Local and international organizations have called the government and rebels to stop fighting in view of the large number of civilians present, but appeals have not drawn any response from either side. dpa