Argentinian forces invaded the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic, in April 1982. British forces retook the islands by 14 June in the Falklands War. One of the first actions taken by the Argentinians after the invasion was to lay mine fields to assist in the defence of the islands. Despite rumours that land mines were scattered randomly by helicopter the majority of the mine fields seem to have been laid in a professional manner and the locations of individual mines recorded. Approximately 30,000 land mines – of which there were at least 20,000 anti-personnel mines and 5,000 anti-tank devices – were laid in 146 separate mine fields. The mine fields were focussed around Stanley and Goose Green on East Falkland and Port Howard and Fox Bay on West Falkland.