COLOMBO, Dec 18, 2006 (AFP) - More than 2,200 more civilians have fled rebel-held territory in eastern Sri Lanka, the defence ministry said Monday amid fears of renewed fighting in the area.

The civilians crossed over to government-held areas on Sunday, the ministry said.

Residents have been fleeing the Vakarai area, held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), following heavy exchanges of artillery and mortar bomb attacks in recent weeks.

The defence ministry said a total of 16,139 people had crossed over to government-held areas since the beginning of November.

"The security forces have accommodated them and provided them with food, medicine and other facilities," the ministry said in a statement.

Sri Lanka's army chief Sarath Fonseka said last week that troops will move to clear the eastern province of Tamil Tiger rebels.

The United Nations and international truce monitors have voiced grave concern for 35,000 "desperate civilians" caught in the crossfire between Sri Lankan troops and Tamil rebels.

The Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) accused the rebels of preventing civilians from leaving the battle zone and the military of preventing monitors from entering the area.

The UN has also called for humanitarian supplies to be rushed to the people trapped in Vakarai.

Sri Lanka's defence ministry accuses the LTTE of using civilians as human shields to carry out attacks against security forces.

The LTTE is fighting for independence for the island's minority 2.5 million Tamil community. The conflict has claimed more than 60,000 lives since 1972.

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