The recovery was carried out by forces under Military Region 4, which said on March 12 that one set of remains had been found in a cave on Co Loong Mountain in Se Pu Village, Huong Lap Commune, Quang Tri.
The remains were discovered about three metres inside the cave and were accompanied by a number of artefacts, including a military poncho, parachute fabric, a lighter, flashlight batteries, a toothbrush, a Chinese chess set and a two coins issued in 1958.
After recovery, the remains were transferred for preservation at a spiritual and cultural site in Khe Sanh while authorities continue efforts to identify the fallen soldier.
A day earlier, about six kilometres from the first discovery site, the search team also located another set of remains at the entrance of a cave on Co Chuoi Mountain in Huong Lap Commune.
The remains were found about one metre underground, wrapped in a military poncho and parachute fabric, with two intact ponchos covering them above and below.
Investigators also found numerous wartime items nearby, including a vehicle headlamp, canned meat, injection vials, a bottle of penicillin, an oil container, K54 pistol cartridges, AK ammunition, heavy machine-gun rounds, three bomb fragments and communication wires tied around the remains.
According to the unit, search teams recovered 33 sets of war martyr remains in Huong Lap Commune during 2023 as part of ongoing efforts to locate missing soldiers from past conflicts.