Colonel Chau Chac, deputy political commissar of the An Giang Provincial Military Command, said at a press briefing on August 14 that preparations were under way for a specialist conference to establish the precise location where the soldiers were killed in the Tram Du area, also known as Tram 800 Forest.
An Giang authorities carry out the search for fallen soldiers' remains (Photo: Vu Phuong).
The area covers parts of Kien Binh and Binh Giang communes. The conference is scheduled for August 25.
Historical records and accounts from veterans have provided multiple sources of information suggesting that more than 300 officers and soldiers were killed in the area in early March 1970.
At about 2.30 pm on March 3, 1970, while military units were stationed in the melaleuca forest, enemy aircraft detected the position and launched bombing raids. Attacks continued the following day.
Fierce fighting took place from March 2 to March 6, 1970, resulting in heavy casualties. However, more than half a century later, changes to the terrain and incomplete archival records have made it impossible to determine the original burial maps and precise locations of the fallen soldiers.
Authorities will analyse historical documents, consult witnesses and narrow down potential burial sites before conducting field surveys and eventually excavating and recovering the remains in accordance with regulations.
At the same briefing, Chau Chac said search teams had recovered 170 sets of remains during the 2025-26 dry season, including 128 in Cambodia and 42 in An Giang Province. One soldier was identified and reburied at Doc Ba Dac Martyrs' Cemetery.
During the 2026-27 dry season, teams recovered a further 55 sets of remains between July 29 and August 7.
Authorities are holding numerous leads concerning hundreds of fallen soldiers believed to be buried both in Vietnam and Cambodia, and will continue verifying the information and organising further searches.