COLOMBO, Jan. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- A claymore mine explosion blamed on the Tamil Tiger rebels has marred a fresh Norwegian initiative to kick start the stalled peace process, officials said Monday.

    The explosion killed at least three soldiers and caused injuries to four more in the eastern town of Batticaloa, defense officials said.

    The soldiers were on a foot patrol at the Urani junction on themain highway to Polonnaruwa when the claymore mine exploded around 7:45 a.m.local time (0145 GMT), the police said.

    It happened moments before the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) theoretician and chief peace negotiator Anton Balasingham was about to board a Sri Lankan Airforce helicopter from the Colombo international airport for traveling to the rebel held Kilinochchi in the north.

    The London based Balasingham and his wife Adele had arrived in the early hours of Monday.

    Their arrival in Colombo was followed by the arrival of the Norwegian Minister for International Development Erik Solheim.

    Solheim is the special peace envoy on Sri Lanka and he is here to further the efforts to revive the stalled peace negotiations.

    Balasingham's visit is meant to facilitate Solheim's meeting with the reclusive rebel leader Velupillai Prabakaran.

    The visits by Solheim and Balasingham have renewed hopes for the resumption of peace negotiations that have been on hold since April 2003.

    A new wave of violence which has gripped the North and East provinces since December 2005 has raised fears of war returning.

    The new Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has said that his government would not be swayed by what he termed provocative action by the Tamil Tiger rebels in violating the February 2002 ceasefire agreement.

    Over 70 soldiers have been killed by continuous rebel attacks since December last year. Enditem