Dubai  - A United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry official said Sunday that his government is urging its citizens not to visit Sri Lanka except for "urgent matters," due to security conditions in the country.

The ministry also recommended that citizens living in Sri Lanka should register with the UAE's embassy in Colombo.

Fighting between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil rebels has intensified this year, with ongoing assaults by government forces cornering the rebels on a strip of land in the northern part of the country. dpa