A Sri Lankan Navy soldier and a Tamil Tiger cadre were killed during an exchange of fire in Sri Lanka's northern coastal town of Mannar Friday morning, said the military.

Military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said a pistol cadre from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) opened fire and killed a Navy sailor near a mosque in Mannar, about 230 km north of Colombo at around 10:15 a.m (0445 GMT).

His fellow-sailor retaliated by gunning down one LTTE cadre, said Samarasinghe, adding that the attack of the LTTE was "in a deliberate attempt to provoke the security forces."

The exchange of fire came shortly after Wednesday's sea battle between the Navy and the LTTE in the nearby area of Kalpitiya, during which five Navy sailors were killed and three sailors were injured.

The military said two LTTE Sea Tiger boats were destroyed during the battle along with about 12 Sea Tigers.

Over 800 people have been killed in Sri Lanka since the beginning of December last year in the escalation of violence in the country's drawn-out separatist armed conflict.

The Norwegian backed peace process has run into stormy waters with both the government and the rebels accusing each other of perpetrating violence against the other.

Source: Xinhua