Nine more sets of skeletal remains, including eight believed to be those of children, were discovered on Tuesday during the 20th day of Phase Three excavations at the Chemmani Siddhupatthi mass grave in Jaffna, bringing the total number of remains identified at the site to 327.
Of the 327 sets identified so far, 311 have been excavated and removed for forensic processing, Newswire reported.
Investigators have also recovered baby milk bottles, toys, a doll, children’s shoes and school bags from the site, raising further concerns about the proportion of victims who were children. According to the excavation teams, the new remains were found at depths ranging from one-and-a-half to two feet below the surface.
The Chemmani site is considered the second-largest mass grave discovered in Sri Lanka.
Phase Three excavations resumed on April 27, 2026 after a seven-month suspension, following the allocation of Rs. 21 million by the Sri Lankan government for the continuation of the investigation. The work is being carried out under the supervision of forensic archaeologist Prof. Raj Somadeva of the University of Kelaniya and Jaffna Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Selliah Pranavan, before Jaffna Magistrate Selvanayagam Leninkumar. Excavations at the site first commenced on May 15, 2025 under court orders.
The existence of alleged mass burials at Chemmani first came to public attention in 1998 during the trial of Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapaksa, who was convicted over the 1996 rape and murder of Tamil schoolgirl Krishanthy Kumaraswamy, her mother, brother and a neighbour in Kaithady. Rajapaksa reportedly disclosed information about the burial of hundreds of victims in the Chemmani area during the proceedings.
The 327-count milestone follows the 245-remains figure reached at the end of the sixth and final Phase Two campaign in early May. Phase Three has therefore added more than 80 additional sets of remains in roughly five weeks, sustaining the highest excavation rate the site has seen since the original 1999 investigation.
Excavations are continuing.
