At a ceremony held at the Tran Van Thoi Commune War Cemetery, the provincial Steering Committee for the Search, Collection and Identification of Martyrs' Remains offered incense before handing over 237 eligible biological samples to the Institute of Criminal Science under the Ministry of Public Security for DNA testing.

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Biological samples collected from unidentified war martyrs' remains in the Southern province of Ca Mau

According to the steering committee, authorities exhumed and collected samples from 263 unidentified graves at the cemetery. After technical assessments and classification in line with professional procedures, 237 samples were found suitable for DNA analysis.

To support the work, the Ca Mau provincial Military Command advised the provincial steering committee to establish an inter-agency task force and two specialized sampling teams. During the exhumation process, the teams worked with Viettel Ca Mau's technical staff to digitize all grave records, cemetery maps, recovery information and sampling documents.

The digital database will support the long-term storage and management of information while facilitating DNA comparison at forensic laboratories operated by the Ministry of National Defense.

Following the incense-offering ceremony, the steering committee's transport team used a specialized vehicle to deliver the samples to Can Tho International Airport for transfer to Hanoi, where they will undergo forensic examinations.

Provincial authorities said they will next begin collecting and handing over samples from unidentified graves at the Nam Can Commune Martyrs' Cemetery before expanding the work to all remaining war cemeteries across the province.

Ca Mau aims to complete the collection of samples from all 3,382 unidentified martyrs in the province by the end of the first quarter of 2027.

Source: VNA