Dombiratos: Remains of seven WWII Hungarian soldiers unearthed

The remains of seven Hungarian soldiers who fell during World War II have been unearthed in Dombiratos, Békés County. The discovery was made by the Ministry of Defence Historical Institute and Museum during research into battles that occurred in late September 1944.

War historians identified two mass graves approximately 100–110 centimeters deep. One grave contained three soldiers, all of whom were successfully identified as Gyula Karácsony, János Dudoma, and József Kovács. The second grave contained four individuals: three unidentified soldiers and one identified as guard Sándor Mihalik. Experts noted that the remains of soldier István Gábor may have been moved by relatives during a cemetery reopening in 1945.

During the excavation, items including an M24 hand grenade, 31M infantry ammunition, buttons, and personal belongings were recovered. Explosive materials were removed from the site by the Hungarian Defence Forces 1st EOD and Guard Regiment. The fallen soldiers are expected to be reinterred in Budapest at the Fiumei Road Cemetery in the autumn of 2026 with full military honors.