New suspected rebel attack kills 3 S.Lanka soldiers

COLOMBO, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels attacked a Sri Lankan army patrol in the island's restive east on Monday with a claymore fragmentation mine, killing three soldiers and wounding two as a new peace initiative was due to start.

"The patrol was attacked 3 miles (5 km) outside Batticaloa town. The Tigers were responsible. Who else?," said Rohan Abeywardene, Deputy Inspector General of Police for the eastern districts of Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee.

The attack came as Norwegian peace broker Erik Solheim flew into Sri Lanka in a last-ditch bid to arrange crunch talks between the government and the rebels, amid fears that escalating attacks could spiral back into civil war.