Services to honour British troops

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Two commemoration services are to be held for British military personnel who served in Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

On 22 May, tribute will be paid at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to the 55 personnel killed during the Balkan conflict.

On 10 September, St Paul's Cathedral will host a service for the 763 men and women who died in Northern Ireland.

Defence Minister Derek Twigg said the events would honour those who made the "ultimate sacrifice" for peace.

The British Army's operation in Northern Ireland, known as Operation Banner, officially came to an end on 31 July 2007.

But Mr Twigg said the service in London would be an opportunity to mark that development formally.

Since 1969, about 300,000 British troops have served in Northern Ireland and, at the height of the Troubles, some 27,000 personnel were stationed there.

'Stability and security'

Mr Twigg said the services would "acknowledge the outstanding efforts" of all servicemen and women during both conflicts.

"The two services will also be a time to pay tribute to those service personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice in bringing stability, security and peace to these countries," he said.

"I hope these events will be well attended by veterans, their families and by those who lost loved ones in Bosnia and Northern Ireland."

Britain sent its first troops to Bosnia at the start of the inter-ethnic war in 1992 and at its peak there were some 12,000 on the ground.

Today, there are still about 300 personnel there and in Kosovo.

More information about the services, including how to apply for tickets, will be announced in the coming months.