13 martyrs' remains found in a 20 sqm pit at Le Thi Rieng park

On the morning of 10/7, the recovery team continued to expand the search pit at Le Thi Rieng park and discovered 13 more martyrs' remains along with some artifacts.

A total of 29 martyrs' remains have been recovered at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City, with 13 sets discovered on 10/7 alone, marking the largest single-day find since the search operation began on 4/7. The latest discovery, which included various artifacts, occurred in a 20 sqm trench area near the park's traditional house.

Starting at 7 AM on 10/7, the Martyrs' Remains Recovery Team, under the Ho Chi Minh City Command, expanded the search area in a pit approximately 2 m deep and 10 m long. During manual excavation and soil layer separation, authorities found 13 sets of remains stacked on top of each other. Alongside these, artifacts such as rings, ballpoint pens, and bottles of medicated oil were also unearthed.

In two days, 18 sets of martyrs' remains were found next to each other in the 20 sqm trench area. *Dinh Van*

The ballpoint pens and medicated oil bottles shared characteristics with artifacts previously found alongside other remains. The team processed the remains and artifacts, taking DNA samples before moving them to the traditional house area. This was also the location where 5 sets of martyrs' remains were discovered on the afternoon of 9/7.

Major General Tran Chi Tam, Deputy Political Commissar of Military Region 7 and Head of Steering Committee 515 of Military Region 7, stated that further expansion of this trench area might uncover more remains. However, as the site is near the park's lakeside, the unit must implement flood prevention measures before continuing excavation.

Ballpoint pens and rings were among the artifacts found with the remains. *Dinh Van*

Over the past week, authorities excavated approximately 50 sqm near the park's traditional house. By noon on 10/7, a total of 29 martyrs' remains had been recovered. According to Major General Tam, the remains not wrapped in military hammocks were severely decomposed, requiring careful excavation. He said, "The unit must also process the soil in areas likely to contain heavily decomposed remains to collect as many samples as possible."

Among the discovered remains, one set included documents bearing the name Huynh Van Quen. Initial verification confirmed that martyr Quen belonged to Long An's 1st Battalion and participated in the Y-Bridge battle during the Tet Mau Than Offensive in 1968.