The total clearance of mines in Sri Lanka's war-battered north and east is not possible until the Tamil Tiger rebels and the government reach a final solution to the two decades of ethnic conflict, military officials have told a team of visiting US officials.

Director of Weapons Removal Richard Kidd and his deputy Staurt C. Harris of the US Department of State visited the north of the country on Wednesday and met with military officials.

The military sources said the Sri Lankan officers told Kidd that complete demining in the high security zones maintained by the military would not be possible until a final solution to the conflict is arrived.

The aim of the visit by the US officials is to instruct and equip the army to develop capacity to clear mined areas to international humanitarian standards.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during their six rounds of direct talks with the government has been calling on themilitary to reduce the high security zones maintained around the military installations.

They demand that Tamil civilian population displaced due to the setting up of the zones must be allowed to return to their original locations.

The peace talks between the government and LTTE rebels have been stalled since April 2003 and latest efforts by the Norwegian facilitators to revive the talks have ended in failure.

Both sides have shown keenness to restart the talks but have got bogged down on the rebel demand for the setting up of an interim power sharing authority and alleged military complicity with the LTTE's renegade eastern commander known as Karuna.

Source: Xinhua