COLOMBO, Dec. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The Sri Lankan government has condemned in the strongest possible terms the killing of 13 Navy soldiers by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels on Friday.

    "It is clear that the clay more mine explosion had been planned in a way to cause maximum casualties among the Security Forces." agovernment statement issued Friday night said.

    "The LTTE has from the very inception shown scant regard for the provisions of the Ceasefire Agreement and these continued attacks raise serious doubts on the LTTE's commitment to a political settlement," it added.

    Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake impressed upon the need for the international community to take specific measures to ensure that the LTTE desists from further escalating violence in the North and East and return to the negotiating table.

    The need to ensure the strict compliance with the ceasefire agreement not only in word, but in deed as well was also highlighted, the release added.

    As the continued provocations are deliberate attempts to createa back-clash elsewhere in the country, the government called upon the public to remain calm in the face of such provocations, it added.

    The attack took place near Thalaimannar in the North province at around 2:00 p.m. local time (0800 GMT) on Friday.

    A bus and a truck carrying sailors were moving along the Pesalai-Talaimannar Road when it hit the claymore mine, Naval officials said.

    The truck had escaped the blast while the bus which was carrying about 20 sailors got caught in the powerful explosion.

    The attack came a day after the Sri Lankan government urged theinternational community to exert pressure on the Tigers for their truce violations.

    Early this month some 15 soldiers were killed in the northern city of Jaffna in two separate claymore mine attacks, raising fears of returning to war after a three-year-long cease-fire. Enditem