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Navaly church bombing victims remembered on 20th anniversary

The victims of the Navaly church bombing were remembered on the 20th anniversary of the attack at a mass in the town’s St Peter’s Church earlier today.

Relatives of those who died were joined by other civilians and politicians in commemorating the dead. A traditional flame was lit and small lamps were placed in front of pictures of the victims by those attending the service.

Sri Lankan fighter jets bombed St Peter’s Church in 1995, killing over 120 civilians who were seeking refuge in the place of worship as the Sri Lankan army intensified their efforts to take control of Jaffna from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

The government had earlier air-dropped leaflets around Jaffna, requesting civilians to take shelter in places of worship.

After initially denying that it was responsible, the then-government, led by Chandrika Kumaratunga, later pledged to establish an inquiry.

See more on the bombing here.

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