COLOMBO, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Norwegian peace facilitators in Sri Lanka are to resume their efforts to bring the government and the rebel Tamil Tigers to the negotiating table, government officials said Friday.

    Hans Brattskar, the Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo held talks with Sri Lanka's chief peace negotiator and Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva on Friday to discuss the possibility of resuming its dialogue with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), officials said.

    Brattskar is to travel to the LTTE held Kilinochchi district on Monday, diplomatic sources said.

    The Norwegians who began its mediatory role in 2000 have been almost staying away from the facilitation role due to the escalation of armed conflict.

    More than 4,000 government soldiers, LTTE rebels and civilians have been killed in the upsurge of violence since December 2005.

    De Silva said that the Norwegian Ambassador would meet him upon his return from Kilinochchi.

    Both sides have been engaged in full scale armed hostilities despite the Norwegian backed ceasefire which is now over four years old.

    Although several bloody clashes took place during the last 15 months both sides have shown unwillingness to announce a formal withdrawal from the truce agreement.

    Two separate rounds of direct talks were held in Geneva in February and October of 2006 but both rounds failed to make any headway in resolving the armed conflict.

    The LTTE has been fighting for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's 12.5 percent Tamil minority since the 1970s.