Two policemen were killed Monday in Sri Lanka's north by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) although the government and the LTTE have expressed hope for permanent peace in the new year.

The Media Center for National Security said in a statement that the LTTE detonated a claymore mine at a police jeep transporting foodstuffs to police officers in the northern Vavuniya region at around 3:00 p.m. (0930 GMT).

Two police officers were killed and one was injured in the explosion, said the statement.

The explosion came as both the government and the LTTE expressed hope for peace in their new year messages.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse said that "we hope this new year will bring the long awaited genuine and sustainable peace to our land."

The LTTE in their message said: "Tamil people hope that the world will view the year 2006 for what it is and in the new year stand with the Tamils in their sincere effort to seek a permanent peace through a just political solution."

The rebels blamed the government for non-implementation of the February 2002 cease-fire agreement and for forcing a war on the Tamil minority.

The violence over the last year has claimed over 3,500 lives, seriously jeopardizing the Norwegian backed process of negotiations to end the separatist armed conflict.

Source: Xinhua