British soldiers train to recapture Falklands after threats by Argentina

British paratroopers have staged a mock invasion of the Falkland Islands amid escalating threats from Argentina to seize back the British territory.

Around 150 soldiers joined 100 local reservists for a six-day military exercise which saw troops storm beaches, march 20 miles through the night and launch simulated attacks on enemy positions.

The operation recreated some of the most significant battles of the 1982 Falklands War, when British forces fought to liberate the islands following Argentina's invasion.

It comes amid growing tensions between London and Buenos Aires after Argentina's president Javier Milei threatened to 'recover' the islands, which he claims are 'under illegal foreign occupation'.

The dispute has also spilled onto the football pitch, with Argentina's players provoking outrage by displaying a banner claiming the Falklands belonged to their country after knocking England out of this summer's World Cup.

FIFA subsequently fined Argentina's football association £235,000 over the controversial stunt, which saw players brandish a sign reading 'Las Malvinas Son Argentinas' following their 2-1 semi-final victory in July.

And the row was reignited last week when Argentine football supporters displayed another Falklands banner during Lionel Messi's farewell international against Benin in Buenos Aires.

The latest British military drills, codenamed Exercise Cape Upholder, are understood to be the first in years to simulate the amphibious landings that helped Britain recapture the islands more than four decades ago.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham vowed on Monday to do 'whatever it takes' to keep the Falklands British, insisting that remaining part of the UK was the 'clear and declared will of the islanders'.

His intervention followed a series of increasingly hostile statements from Mr Milei, who last month warned Argentina could 'act swiftly' to reclaim the territory.

The Argentine leader later told the United Nations General Assembly in New York that his country could 'take matters into our own hands' to assert sovereignty, although he maintained that his government was pursuing a peaceful solution.

Despite the inflammatory rhetoric, British defence sources stressed that the military exercise had been planned in advance and was not a direct response to Argentina's latest threats.

The Times reported that soldiers from B Company, 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, joined members of the Falkland Islands Defence Force for the operation earlier this month.

The exercise began with paratroopers sailing aboard the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Medway towards San Carlos, on East Falkland, before transferring into inflatable landing craft and storming ashore.

San Carlos was the scene of the British landings in May 1982, when troops launched Operation Sutton to begin the liberation of the islands.

After reaching land, the soldiers faced a gruelling 20-mile march 'under the cover of darkness' to Goose Green, where Argentine forces had established a heavily defended position during the war.

They then carried out a dawn assault on a simulated enemy communications centre, supported by RAF Typhoon fighter jets.

Within three hours, the troops had advanced several miles and 'neutralised all enemy' forces in the area, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Helicopters subsequently transported soldiers and equipment ahead of a second 13-mile advance towards Wireless Ridge, a strategically important position overlooking Port Stanley.

There, paratroopers battled across exposed moorland, treacherous peat bogs and rocky high ground during two hours of close-quarters combat exercises before securing their objective.

Major Nunkoosing, the company's commanding officer, said the operation 'gave us the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of our forefathers and gain a small insight into what they persevered through to achieve victory in 1982'.

He described the 'arduous' exercise as one which 'has been an outstanding opportunity for our soldiers to train alongside Royal Navy and Royal Air Force capabilities in a challenging environment'.

But the military operation was not simply a recreation of battles fought 44 years ago.

Troops also rehearsed how they would respond to modern threats, including hostile drones and cyber warfare.

Major Nunkoosing explained: 'We have also explored how the cyber and space domains could affect missions like this in the modern era and simulated enemy drone strikes to highlight weaknesses and areas for improvements in our tactics, techniques, and procedures.'

The renewed confrontation has also drawn in Donald Trump, who has cast doubt on whether America would come to Britain's aid if Argentina launched another invasion.

The US president suggested in August that Washington was reviewing its position on the islands' sovereignty, telling reporters: 'I always review every position. That's just one of many.'

He subsequently questioned whether Britain could mount another military operation to retake the islands, while criticising London's failure to support his war against Iran.

During a visit to Dublin last month, Mr Trump suggested Britain would not 'be willing to travel that far' to defend the territory, warning that sending ships would take 'weeks by boat'.

He also offered to help settle any renewed conflict between Britain and Argentina, which he described as a 'potential disaster'.

Mr Milei, a close political ally of the US president, has seized on his remarks as evidence that international opinion could be shifting in Argentina's favour.

The Argentine leader has also pledged to expand a naval base in Tierra del Fuego and pursue sanctions against companies involved in oil exploration around the Falklands.

The increasingly bitter diplomatic row has intensified over plans to develop the Sea Lion oilfield north of the islands.

In a fresh escalation on Tuesday, Argentina asked the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to intervene and halt British-authorised oil exploration and development.

Britain has also urged Interpol to reject Argentine attempts to secure the arrest of individuals linked to the oil project, dismissing the action as politically motivated.

The proposed £1.6billion development, involving British firm Rockhopper Exploration and Israeli company Navitas Petroleum, is expected to begin producing oil in 2028.

Britain has repeatedly insisted that the sovereignty of the Falklands is not up for negotiation.

In a referendum held in 2013, more than 99 per cent of islanders who voted backed remaining a British overseas territory.

The islands, which have a population of around 3,500, are defended by a permanent British military presence including soldiers, RAF Typhoon fighter jets, Sky Sabre air defence missiles and a Royal Navy patrol vessel.

British forces regularly carry out military exercises on the islands, although the latest operation was unusual in its recreation of the amphibious assault undertaken during the 1982 war.

That conflict began when Argentina invaded the islands in April 1982, prompting Margaret Thatcher to dispatch a naval task force of 127 ships to reclaim the territory.

After 74 days of fighting, Argentine forces surrendered on June 14.

The war claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen, 649 Argentine military personnel and three Falkland Islanders.

The Conservatives have also demanded that Britain strengthen its defences in response to the latest threats.

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said his party would 'reinforce our sovereign bases and overseas territories' in the face of Argentine 'sabre-rattling over the Falklands'.