Excavations at Chemmani mass grave to continue for eight more weeks

Excavations at the Chemmani Sindhubathi cemetery in Jaffna are likely to continue for eight more weeks, officials have said.

Skeletal remains believed to belong to 141 individuals have been recovered from the Chemmani Sindhubathi cemetery, located near a suspected mass grave site in Jaffna.

The skeletal remains were first noticed on February 20, 2025, during a development project at the Chemmani Sindhubathi cemetery in Jaffna.

Following the discovery, those involved in the development work informed the Jaffna police.

Subsequently, the Jaffna police obtained a court order from the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court to conduct excavations at the site where the remains were found.

Excavations commenced under the supervision of a team of experts, and human remains have been discovered at various stages since then.

Since the area was secured and declared an area of interest, a total of 141 skeletons have been discovered within a 165-square-meter area.

The identities of the dead and the cause and timing of their deaths are all unclear.

Meanwhile, according to Director of Media of the Sri Lanka Brigadier Waruna Gamage, “the excavations are still ongoing and it is a civil matter belonging to the police and courts.”