U.N. Halts Golan Patrols as Syria War Dangers Mount

The U.N. has halted peacekeeping patrols in the Golan Heights amid fears that fallout from the Syrian war could cause more countries to withdraw from its force, diplomats said Wednesday.

The abduction last week of 21 Philippine members of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which has monitored a ceasefire zone between Syria and Israel since 1974, has heightened security fears.

Canada, Japan and Croatia have withdrawn their contingents in recent months leaving only the Philippines, Austria and India in UNDOF.

The Philippine government said it is reviewing its activities after the 21 troops were held for four days. Austria has also raised concerns to the U.N., diplomats said.

"There is a risk they will all leave. And if they all leave then the mission is in definite crisis," said one senior U.N. diplomat. "They are no longer doing patrols. They have closed down some of the observation posts."

Another senior Security Council diplomat warned: "There is a real danger of the total unraveling of the force."

Shots were fired at one observation post after the Filipinos were freed last Saturday, and at least two shells fired by Syrian forces have landed in Israel.

The U.N. diplomat said the observers only have sidearms "so they can't defend themselves if they are attacked with machine guns."

The U.N. has complained to the Syrian government about incursions by President Bashar Assad's forces into the Golan zone and about rebels who have built up their presence.

Without giving details on UNDOF's activities, U.N. peacekeeping spokesman Kieran Dwyer acknowledged the growing concerns and said changes to the force were started several months ago.

"The mission is having to assess the way it works so that the troops are safe and the most critical roles are carried out," Dwyer told Agence France Presse.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is to make new recommendations about UNDOF to the Security Council next week. The council may call a special meeting with the remaining troop contributors in a bid to reassure them, the diplomats said.

The U.N. spokesman and the diplomats stressed the importance of the mission in making sure that the tensions do not trigger a new Israeli-Syrian conflict alongside the two-year-old civil war in Syria.