COLOMBO : A claymore attack by suspected LTTE rebels on a road convoy of the Sri Lanka navy killed eight sailors and injured eight others in northern Sri Lanka on Thursday, the navy said.

The mine attack was at Cheddikulam, en route to Mannar."The sailors were returning to duty from leave, when the attack took place," a naval spokesperson told The Hindu .

With this attack, over 70 security personnel have been killed since December in attacks on the armed forces.

Thursday's attack came immediately after calls by the international community to the LTTE to abandon violence and resume peace talks. The continued attacks on the security forces come ahead of a scheduled visit by Norwegian Minister for International Development Erik Solheim later this month.

Earlier in the day, Government spokesperson on the peace process Nimal Siripala de Silva said Colombo had no intention of returning to war. "We will not be provoked by the LTTE and will truly abide by the ceasefire," he had said.

EU's call

Meanwhile, EU's Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner called for an end to violence in Sri Lanka.

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