Philippine U.N. Peacekeepers Safe after 'Greatest Escape'
All 75 Filipino troops serving as U.N. peacekeepers in the Golan Heights are safe after the last batch slipped away under cover of night from besieging Syrian rebels, military spokesmen said Sunday.
Military chief General Gregorio Catapang called it "the greatest escape," and praised the soldiers.
"Although they were surrounded and outnumbered they held their ground," he told reporters.
The troops are part of a U.N. peacekeeping force which has been stationed in the Golan Heights since 1974 to monitor a ceasefire between Israel and Syria.
"Everyone is in a safe position. We left our (old) position but we brought all our arms," said Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala.
An initial group of 35 Filipino troops were picked up from their position by Irish U.N. soldiers in armored vehicles on Saturday after Syrian rebels attacked their comrades positioned about four kilometers (two-and-a-half miles) away, said the Philippine military.
The remaining 40 soldiers engaged in a "seven-hour firefight" with rebels who tried to ram the gates with pick-up trucks carrying anti-aircraft guns. The troops later walked to safety to a U.N. position just over two kilometers away.
In a statement, the U.N. said the 40 Filipino peacekeepers withdrew shortly after midnight "during a ceasefire agreed with the armed elements".
They later moved to Camp Ziouani behind U.N. lines.
"There is no more standoff. All are safe," Zagala told AFP.
The troops, burdened by their equipment and the cold weather, walked for about an hour and 40 minutes in the dark to reach safety, he said in Manila.
Military chief Catapang said the Syrian and Israeli governments had supported the Filipinos in upholding "the integrity of the area of separation".
Catapang also credited the U.S. and Qatar governments for helping safeguard the blue helmets but did not elaborate.
"The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United Nations will not compromise the safety and security of our troops while in the pursuit of their duties.
"It is in our national interest to prioritize their safety without abandoning our commitment to international security," he said.
The head of Philippine peacekeeping operations, Colonel Roberto Ancan, said the Syrians had provided "indirect fire support" that took the pressure off the besieged Filipinos.
The peacekeepers were besieged by rebels Thursday but defied demands that they give up their weapons.
Rebels, including some linked to Al-Qaida's Syria affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, also took hostage 44 Fijian peacekeepers, the U.N. has said.
Asked what the Filipino peacekeepers would do now, Zagala said "we continue our mission. Our commitment is still there".
On August 23, the Philippine Defense Department announced that it would withdraw the 331-strong Filipino contingent serving as part of the United Nations Disengagement Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights at the end of their tour of duty in October due to the worsening security situation.
Israel seized 1,200 square kilometers (460 square miles) of the Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War, then annexed it in a move never recognized by the international community.
The U.N. peacekeeping force is there to monitor the ceasefire.
Source: Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/145547 |