"Local authorities and people Đồng Tháp Province offer incense in tribute to the heroic martyrs at Tam Nông Martyrs Cemetery. VNA/VNS Photos Nhựt An

ĐỒNG THÁP – The southern provinces of Đồng Tháp and Tây Ninh on July 25 held memorial and burial ceremonies for volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia and Đồng Tháp Province during the war.

A ceremony was held on July 25 morning at the Tam Nông Martyrs’ Cemetery in Phú Thọ Commune, Đồng Tháp Province, for 43 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts whose remains were recovered during the 2024–2025 dry season by Team K91 of the provincial Military Command.

Ritual is performed to lay the remains of the martyrs to rest.

The search was conducted across more than 180 sites and over 2,150 excavation points—covering approximately 45,500cu.m of soil and rock—across the Cambodian provinces of Prey Veng and Pursat, as well as within Đồng Tháp. Of the 43 remains, 41 were found in Cambodia and two in Đồng Tháp.

Since its founding in 2001, Team K91 has located and repatriated 2,201 sets of martyrs' remains, including 1,963 from Cambodia and 238 from Đồng Tháp. However, just 96 sets of remains have been identified.

Team K91 (under the Command of the Đồng Tháp Provincial Military Headquarters) perform the ceremony of laying the martyrs' remains to rest.

Delegates perform the ritual to lay the martyrs' remains to rest.

Also on July 25, another ceremony was held at Hill 81 martyrs’ cemetery in the southern province of Tây Ninh for 172 fallen Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts. Their remains were repatriated during the 24th mission of teams under the provincial Military Command.

In the 24th mission during the dry season 2024 - 2025, the teams found and collected 474 sets of remains but all were unidentified. Previously, memorial and burial ceremonies were held for 302 sets of remains of fallen martyrs and experts. VNA/VNS