  The highly radiopure $\simeq$ 250 kg NaI(Tl) DAMA/LIBRA set-up is running at
the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the I.N.F.N.. In this paper the first
result obtained by exploiting the model independent annual modulation signature
for Dark Matter (DM) particles is presented. It refers to an exposure of 0.53
ton$\times$yr. The collected DAMA/LIBRA data satisfy all the many peculiarities
of the DM annual modulation signature. Neither systematic effects nor side
reactions can account for the observed modulation amplitude and
contemporaneously satisfy all the several requirements of this DM signature.
Thus, the presence of Dark Matter particles in the galactic halo is supported
also by DAMA/LIBRA and, considering the former DAMA/NaI and the present
DAMA/LIBRA data all together (total exposure 0.82 ton$\times$yr), the presence
of Dark Matter particles in the galactic halo is supported at 8.2 $\sigma$
C.L..
