Vietnam Collects Remains of 18 Fallen Soldiers in Cambodia, Bolstering Bilateral Ties

The K92 unit of the Vietnam People's Army (under the An Giang Provincial Military Command) has collected the remains of 18 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts during the 2025-2026 dry season in Kampot province, Cambodia. This effort is part of Vietnam's long-standing humanitarian mission in Cambodia to search for and repatriate the remains of fallen soldiers. On July 16, in Kampot province, the An Giang Provincial Special Task Force and the Kampot Provincial Special Task Force signed a memorandum of understanding for the handover and reception of the collected remains. According to the K92 unit's report, despite the extensive mission area, the laning of many burial sites due to socio-economic development, and the prolonged hot weather affecting the operation, the unit, with high determination and the active support of the Kampot provincial task force, authorities, armed forces, and people, conducted surveys, verifications, and excavations at 63 locations, moving over 40,322 cubic meters of earth. As a result, 18 sets of remains were collected, bringing the total number of remains found and collected in Kampot province since 2001 to 1,719. This achievement reaffirms the effectiveness of cooperation between the special task forces of An Giang and Kampot provinces in carrying out humanitarian missions and contributes to the successful "500-Day High-Point Operation" for searching and collecting martyrs' remains. In addition to fulfilling the mission of searching and collecting remains, the K92 unit also actively engaged in military diplomacy and civilian mobilization. During the past dry season, under the guidance of the An Giang Provincial Military Command, the unit facilitated medical check-ups, health consultations, and free medicine distribution for over 400 local residents, directly examining and prescribing medication for 160 individuals. Furthermore, 20 gifts were presented to the authorities, armed forces, and families facing hardship on the occasion of the traditional Cambodian New Year, Chôl Chnăm Thmây. These practical activities have contributed to building trust and strengthening solidarity between the officers and soldiers of the K92 unit and the authorities and people of Kampot province, creating more favorable conditions for the search and collection of martyrs' remains. Concluding the search and collection activities for the 2025-2026 dry season, the special task forces of the two provinces signed the memorandum of understanding for the handover and reception of the 18 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts. The remains will be repatriated for memorial services and burial. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Le Van Phuoc, Vice Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People's Committee and head of the provincial special task force, expressed his sincere gratitude to the Kampot provincial special task force, authorities, armed forces, and people for their continuous companionship and support to the K92 unit throughout the mission. An Giang provincial leaders expressed their hope that both sides will continue to enhance information exchange and maintain close coordination mechanisms to improve the efficiency of searching and collecting the remaining martyrs' remains, thereby successfully completing the "500-Day High-Point Operation." This effort aims to further foster the traditional solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia, and between An Giang and Kampot provinces, ensuring their sustainable development. Source: Nhan Dan