A solemn moment was held in the southern province of Tây Ninh on May 13 to pay tribute to fallen soldiers and experts. — VNA/VNS Photo

TÂY NINH — Authorities, armed forces personnel and local residents in the southern province of Tây Ninh on Wednesday held a memorial and burial ceremony for the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives while carrying out international duties in Cambodia.

The 158 sets of remains were recovered and repatriated by officers and soldiers of Teams K71 and K73 under the provincial Military Command following search and recovery operations conducted in the Cambodian provinces of Battambang, Pailin, Siem Reap and Oddar Meanchey.

At the ceremony held at Vĩnh Hưng – Tân Hưng martyrs’ cemetery, Vice Chairman of the Tây Ninh People’s Committee Phạm Tấn Hòa expressed profound respect, deep sorrow and immense gratitude for the sacrifices made by the fallen heroes and martyrs.

He recalled that more than four decades ago, in response to the appeal of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation, Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts, under the leadership of the Party and the State, undertook international missions alongside the Cambodian people to help free the neighbouring country from the genocidal regime and support national recovery and reconstruction.

“They stand as enduring symbols of revolutionary heroism, noble international solidarity and the steadfast friendship between Việt Nam and Cambodia,” he said.

According to the provincial Steering Committee 515, the search, recovery and repatriation of the remains of fallen Vietnamese soldiers has achieved significant results over the years thanks to the direction of the National Steering Committee 515 and close coordination between Military Region 7, the authorities and armed forces of Tây Ninh, and the Cambodian authorities, armed forces and people.

During the second phase of the 25th campaign alone, nearly two months of operations under challenging terrain and weather conditions, as well as the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance, enabled search teams to recover 158 sets of remains, bringing the total number recovered during the campaign to 322.

To date, Tây Ninh’s authorities have searched for, recovered and repatriated 8,994 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Cambodia, including 282 whose identities, names and home addresses have been confirmed. — VNA/VNS