The Quang Tri Provincial Military Command said on June 10 that search and recovery teams had located and exhumed four sets of martyrs' remains within the grounds of Thach Han Regional General Hospital in Quang Tri Ward, Quang Tri Province.
Authorities search for the remains of fallen soldiers (Photo: Xuan Dien).
The remains were discovered at an active construction site inside the hospital compound at a depth of about two metres. Recovery efforts found that the remains consisted mainly of teeth, sections of leg bones and numerous small bone fragments buried in an underground pit mixed with bricks and stones.
During the excavation, the recovery team also uncovered a range of personal belongings and military items, including ponchos, hammocks, army socks, combs, ammunition boxes, a heavily corroded infantry shovel, heavy machine-gun ammunition, toothbrushes and belt buckles.
Authorities said these artefacts could provide important clues for further research and verification of the martyrs' identities.
The recovered remains have been transferred to the headquarters of Team 584 for preservation. Biological samples will be collected, if conditions permit, for DNA analysis in an effort to identify the fallen soldiers.
The remains were taken to Team 584's barracks under the Quang Tri Province Military Command for preservation and commemoration (Photo: Xuan Dien).
Leaders of the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command have inspected the site and instructed recovery forces to continue surveying the area and expand the search operation.
