Iraq and Iran have exchanged the remains of nearly 250 soldiers killed during their long and bloody war in the 1980s, in an emotional operation organised by the Red Cross.
The remains of 41 Iranian soldiers and 200 Iraqis were swapped on Sunday at the Shalamjah border post near the southern Iraqi port city of Basra, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.
Wooden coffins were brought to the border crossing from both sides before being draped with their respective flags and carried across by Iraqi and Iranian honour guards in crisp white uniforms.
On the Iranian side women in long black robes knelt and wept over the coffins of their loved ones. On the Iraqi side a military brass band played a procession as the long line of flag-draped coffins passed.
The ICRC said in August tens of thousands of members of both armed forces are listed as missing, 20 years after the end of the war, in which about one million people were killed on both sides.
"The return of the bodies is important for the families of the dead and an essential element in the process of dealing with the past," said ICRC delegate Jamila Hammami.
"These families have been expecting the return of their loved ones for a very long time. They never lost hope and today maybe some of them will finally find peace."
The remains of only 10 Iranian soldiers and 23 Iraqi soldiers were positively identified, the ICRC said.
Forensic experts were due to examine the bodies of the Iraqi soldiers at a centre in Basra run by the Iraqi human rights ministry before the remains are handed over to their next of kin.
The remains of Iranian soldiers were due to be sent to Teheran's Search and Recovery Commission for identification before they are turned over to their families.
The ICRC described the swap as a "goodwill gesture" after Iran and Iraq signed along with the ICRC a "framework memorandum of understanding" in October to hand over the remains of the soldiers.
The document aimed "at clarifying the fate of persons missing in connection with the 1980-1988 war" and at establishing a "clear framework for collecting information and sharing it between the two countries".
"We welcome this important step," said Hammami.
"The ICRC will continue to help Iran and Iraq to provide answers to many families on both sides still waiting for information on what happened to their missing relatives."