Vietnam’s Can Tho searches suspected burial site of 12 fallen soldiers

The excavation is being carried out by the Can Tho Military Command in coordination with Team K90 under the Political Department of Military Region 9.

The search was launched based on information provided by local resident Nguyen Quat Khoi, 68, and preliminary field surveys.

The site was once part of an old cemetery for war martyrs near Truong Loc market but it was relocated decades ago.

These two graves, lying just outside the cemetery fence, were overlooked during the relocation.

Initial information indicates that the two graves contain the remains of 12 soldiers, with one grave holding five and the other seven.

The graves are believed to be about one meter apart.

Based on witness accounts and historical records, the soldiers were members of Regiment 10 - Song Huong and died between the third and fourth lunar months of 1973 while fighting alongside the Tay Do Battalion during the Battle of Cai Tuc.

Witnesses recalled that amid intense combat, enemy patrols, and helicopter attacks, burial teams had to transport the bodies discreetly on small boats covered with plastic sheets.

To avoid detection, they buried the soldiers in dense vegetation outside the cemetery fence rather than inside.

On Tuesday, after verifying witness accounts and conducting field checks, Team K90 and local forces began excavation following official procedures.

Findings will be reported to higher authorities, and further steps will be taken to recover and properly reinter the remains of the soldiers.