Bone fragments believed to be those of a child found at Chemmani

Excavations at the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna took a grim turn on Sunday with the discovery of skeletal remains, believed to be that of a child, found alongside a blue school bag, imprinted with the English alphabet, fragments of clothing, and small glass bangles.

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This marks the first time personal belongings have been unearthed during the current phase of excavations, adding a poignant dimension to the ongoing investigation. The cloth pouch is reported to resemble school bags once distributed by NGOs to children in the conflict-affected North and East, strengthening suspicions that some of the remains may be of children.

The discovery brings the total number of human skeletal remains uncovered at the site to 33, of which 22 have already been exhumed for forensic examination.