At least 56 bodies were discovered in unmarked mass graves in northern Mexico, not far from the border with the United States, local prosecutors said on Saturday in a statement.

The remains included some bodies, some complete skeletons and other partial remains, as well as clothing and bushings. They were exhumed earlier this week in Chihuahua’s state – which is located along the route of drug and migrant smuggling routes – in surgery with the help of an army that lasted for several days, the statement said.

Prosecutors did not give details about the possible identities of the victims.

The remains were sent to the forensic laboratory to determine the time and cause of death, with the hope that the victims would be able to identify themselves, prosecutors said.

The bodies are exhumed in the area known as “El Willy”, which is controlled by the criminal organization La Linea – one of the armed branches of the Juárez Cartel active at the border, according to local media.

Mass graves are not uncommon throughout Mexico, especially in areas affected by cartel violence. There is over 345,000 people in Mexico which were reported as missing, according to the national register of the country.

Last monthMexican authorities discovered 12 bodies buried in secret graves in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahu. Another 12 bodies were also found in several graves for about two hours from Ciudad Juarez, located across the border with El dog in Texas.

More than 450,000 people have been killed across the country since Mexico launched a great offensive against the drug cartel in 2006.

One of the one the largest mass graves in Mexico He was reported in 2017 when more than 250 skulls were found in, as it seems, a mass cemetery of the Narcocartee in the suburbs of the city of Veracruz.