Falklands Deal Over Bodies Of Unknown Argentine Soldiers

An agreement has been signed between the British and Argentine governments that will allow the identification of 123 Argentinian soldiers buried on the Falkland Islands.

Backed by the International Committee of the Red Cross, work to take DNA samples from the Darwin cemetery is likely to begin early next year.

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Just over half of the graves at the remote site are marked with just a simple white cross inscribed only with the message "Soldier only known to God".

Argentina lost 649 military personnel, many of them conscripts, during the 1982 conflict which followed the country's ruling junta's invasion of the British overseas territory.

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Three Falkland Islanders and 255 British servicemen also died in the 74 day war fought deep in the South Atlantic, thousands of miles from the UK.

It wasn't however until March 18th 1991 that the first Argentine families were allowed to fly to the islands to pay their respects to the sons and fathers they had lost.

Accompanied on that day by British military personnel many were faced with adopting a random grave at which to mourn, not knowing if it contained the body of their loved one or not.

Announcing the deal the Minister for Europe and the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan MP, stressed that the UK's sovereignty of the islands remains "absolutely clear", as does the right of its residents to remain British.

Taking to Twitter Sir Alan tweeted that a "way forward" has also been found for new flight routes between Latin America and the islands Argentina call Las Malvinas.

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