The president of Argentina has reasserted her country's claim to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, on the 26th anniversary of the start of the war Argentina fought with Britain over the territory.

A woman hugs her son as she touches a memorial wall with names of Argentinean soldiers killed during Falklands War in Buenos Aires  (file)

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said Wednesday that the Falklands are a "colonial enclave in the 21st century."

Argentina invaded the British-controlled Falklands - known in Spanish as the Malvinas - on April 2, 1982, withdrawing its forces two-and-a-half months later after 600 Argentine soldiers lost their lives.

Argentina's attempt to reclaim the islands ended in defeat.

The Falkland Islands, located less than 500 kilometers off the coast of Argentina,  have been British territory since the 1830s. 

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.