Vietnam launches large-scale DNA sampling campaign to identify fallen soldiers

Authorities in Vietnam are conducting large-scale operations to identify fallen soldiers through DNA sampling. As part of the ‘500-day campaign to search, collect, and identify the remains of martyrs,’ significant progress has been made in both Hue and Tay Ninh provinces.

In Hue, biological samples have been collected from all 42 martyr cemeteries. Following a rigorous process of opening graves and preserving remains, 3,908 qualified samples were sent to the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology for forensic identification. Local veterans and citizens have actively assisted by providing historical information regarding burial locations.

In Tay Ninh, the campaign has completed excavations and sampling at 18 cemeteries. Officials reported that 15,336 biological samples were collected from 18,593 graves, representing approximately 82.48% of the targeted remains. To support the identification process, the province also collected 5,571 samples from relatives of the deceased. The first batch of 8,000 samples from Tay Ninh has already been handed over to the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.