 Recent coverage of the war has increased tension in the media |
The editor of a Sri Lankan weekly newspaper and his wife have been assaulted in Colombo in the latest of a series of attacks on journalists.
Reporters on the Rivira magazine say four men on motorcycles blocked Upali Tennakoon's car and attacked the couple with iron rods and knives.
The pair are in a stable condition. The attack comes two weeks after top editor Lasantha Wickramatunga was shot dead.
Meanwhile, fierce fighting continues as troops battle rebels in the north-east.
Media rights groups say journalists are regularly subjected to intimidation and violence in Sri Lanka.
Crossfire
Doctors said Mr Tennakoon was treated for cuts to his hands and forehead. His wife also suffered cuts.
The wounds were said to be minor and the pair will make a full recovery, the doctors said.
Two weeks ago Mr Wickramatunga, editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper and a leading critic of the government, was shot in the head by unknown killers in Colombo.
An article said to be self-penned and published in his paper after his death blamed the government.
The government has accused the opposition of trying to gain political advantage from the murder.
Amnesty International said in November that at least 10 media employees had been killed in Sri Lanka since 2006.
Some reporters say the intimidation has got worse as the war has intensified with the Tamil Tigers.
In the latest fighting, pro-rebel websites say the Tigers have beaten back an army offensive in Mullaitivu, killing at least 40 soldiers.
A military spokesperson denied the rebel claim.
There have been no independent reports from the front lines, and it is impossible to verify either side's account.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had handed over to the Tamil Tiger rebels the bodies of 11 of their fighters.
The ICRC acts as an intermediary and facilitates the exchange of bodies between the two sides.
Meanwhile, the most senior government official in Mullaitivu district, Imelda Sukumar, has told the BBC that nearly 100 civilians have been killed in the crossfire between the military and rebels since the weekend.
The rebels have been battling for more than a quarter of century for a separate state for the Tamil minority.
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