With the initiative of the Cyprus Government, a series of exhumations were undertaken since 1999, for the scientific identification of approximately 200 remains of persons, who were buried in the summer of 1974 in the cemeteries of Lakatamia and Agiou Constantinou and Elenis, in Nicosia. A number of these remains belonged to Greek Cypriot conscripts and reservists of the National Guard and some to soldiers of the Greek Contingent in Cyprus, who were buried without proper identification. Some civilians were also buried during the same period with the military personnel.

The exhumations were undertaken by a group of qualified experts of the internationally recognized Non-Governmental Organization ?Physicians for Human Rights? (PHR), under the direction of American Professor Dr. William Haglund. The identifications are carried out at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics with the method of DNA, in cooperation with the team of the PHR. The scientific team of the Institute is headed by Dr. Marios Kariolou.

Since the exhumations which were carried out during the year 2000 in the government controlled areas (i.e. the "Ayios Constantinos and Ayia Eleni" and the "Lakatamia" cemeteries) 171 persons have been identified by the DNA method. Out of these persons there were 48 persons who have previously been in the catalog of the missing.

During July And August 2007 there was the first announcement of persons identified by the DNA method from exhumations  in the areas not controlled by the Cyprus Government. The total number of persons identified in this case is 38.

 The total number of missing persons was originally 1619. As a result of the recent identifications up to date, 87 missing persons have been identified, including the 17 year old American citizen Andreas Kasapis, whose remains were recovered earlier by the American investigatory team in the occupied areas of Cyprus, and its scientific identification was done in the USA with DNA analysis.

Therefore, the current number of the missing Cypriots is now 1532. The 87 identified persons are no longer considered as missing but instead, as heroes of war. A list of their names follows.