Armed fighters linked to the Syrian opposition have detained about 21 UN peacekeepers in the increasingly volatile zone separating Israeli and Syrian troops on the Golan Heights.
The UN Security Council and Philippine government demanded their immediate and unconditional release on Thursday.
“The Philippine government is calling for the immediate release of 21 Filipino peacekeepers who are part of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights,” a foreign ministry statement said.
Talks were under way for the release of the unarmed peacekeepers, who were detained on Wednesday, Raul Hernandez, Philippines foreign affairs department spokesman, said.
The foreign affairs department spokesman said that the Filipino peacekeepers were unharmed.
“The apprehension and illegal detention of the Filipino peacekeepers are gross violations of international law,” the statement said.
The hostages are part of a 300-member Filipino peacekeeping unit.
Colonel Arnulfo Burgos, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, told Al Jazeera’s Marga Ortigas that the abducted peacekeepers are “safe” and being “treated as guests” by the Syrian fighters.
The UNDOF force was established in 1974 following the 1973 Yom Kippur war to monitor the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces and maintain a ceasefire.
Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s UN ambassador andthe current Security Council president, said talks were under way between UN officials from the peacekeeping force and the captors.
Wirestory
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