Tamil Tiger rebels have kidnapped 24 schoolchildren in eastern Sri Lanka, a military spokesman has announced.

Brig Prasad Samarasinghe told the BBC the children, mostly teenage girls, were taken away from a class in eastern Ampara area.

The parents of the children have left for rebel-held territory to "talk to the rebels and persuade them to free the children," he said.

The rebels have not yet commented on the incident.

Brig Samarasinghe said 21 girls and three boys, all teenagers, were preparing for a school examination when they were picked up by the rebels on Monday evening.

"The incident was reported to the local police. The police have informed the peace monitors and the human rights commission," he said.

Brig Samarasinghe said the children could have been taken away for "forced conscription".

The issue of child recruitment has been a major point of difference between government, human rights and international organisations and the rebels.

The Tigers have in the past denied recruiting child troops.

The rebels have been fighting for independence for the 2.5m-strong minority Tamil community in the north and east of the country.

At least 3,400 people have been killed in the conflict in the past year, the government says. More than 60,000 lives have been lost since 1972.

PHOTO CAPTION

A Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) soldier stands alert at the site of a suicide bombing in Colombo on December 1 (AFP)