A solemn memorial and re-burial ceremony for 66 sets of remains of fallen soldiers takes place at the Bình Phước provincial martyrs' cemetery on Tuesday. VNA/VNS Photo

BÌNH PHƯỚC — The southern province of Bình Phước held a solemn memorial and re-burial ceremony for 66 sets of remains of fallen soldiers at the provincial martyrs' cemetery on Tuesday.

The event coincided with the 95th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (February 3, 1930–2025) and the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

During the first phase of the 2024–2025 search campaign (Phase 24), the K72 team from the Bình Phước provincial Military Command located and repatriated 66 sets of remains. These included 33 recovered from Kratie and Kampong Thom provinces in Cambodia while the rest found in Lộc Ninh District of Bình Phước.

All the remains lacked identifiable information. Personal items retrieved include hammocks, weapons, and other belongings.

At the ceremony, Trần Tuyết Minh, Vice Chairwoman of Bình Phước People's Committee, expressed the deep gratitude owed to the heroes who sacrificed their lives.

She noted recent memorial and requiem ceremonies held by the provincial Party Committee’s Mass Mobilisation Board and the Bình Phước chapter of the Việt Nam Buddhist Sangha to honour the fallen, reflecting Việt Nam’s enduring values of respect and remembrance.

Minh expressed heartfelt appreciation to local authorities, Military Region 7, its Steering Committee 515, and Cambodian provinces for their cooperation in searching for and safely repatriating the remains of Vietnamese soldiers.

Since 2002, the K72 team has located and repatriated 3,857 sets of remains of Vietnamese soldiers who fell down during wartime in Cambodia. — VNS