IDF saved Irish UNDOF forces from abduction by Syrian Islamists
The Irish Independent reported on Sunday that
the IDF saved 130 Irish United Nations Disengagement Observer Force soldiers from abduction by Syrian rebel Islamists on August 30.
The
Sunday Independent has now established from senior sources that Irish
soldiers would have been killed or taken hostage by Islamist extremists
if it wasn't for the military intervention of the Israeli army during
last week's battle to save besieged UN soldiers.
...
Senior
sources said that there would "almost certainly" have been UN
casualties or deaths if it wasn't for the help given by the Israeli
military, which has posts on high ground overlooking the UN observer
bases in Quneitra. The Israeli assistance was described as "decisive" in
the success of the mission.
The Israelis were able to guide the
Irish-led rescue troops and help it avoid concentrations of the more
heavily armed al-Nusra force. There are also unconfirmed reports that
the Israelis directed fire at the Islamists to stop them from attacking
the Filipino and Irish soldiers.
And the entire UNDOF enterprise now appears to be in danger.
A replacement contingent for the 130 Irish troops in the Golan Heights is still preparing to travel before the end of the month.
However, that could change if the government of the Philippines carries out its threat to withdraw its 331 troops from early next month.
The
Filipino military is enraged at the UN, and has claimed that it ordered
the troops to surrender to the Islamists, endangering their lives.
The Philippines government and military allege that a detachment of 41 Fijian soldiers who did surrender to the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Brigade were only captured after they obeyed a UN order to surrender. Their whereabouts are unknown.
In a statement on Friday, al-Nusra, which has carried out atrocities in Syria, said it was going to try the Fijian soldiers before a Sharia court.
The
Filipinos refused to surrender and after a gun battle with the
Islamists, and supported by the Irish troops, they managed to break the
siege with no loss of life.
Hmmm.
Labels: Fiji, Golan Heights, IDF, Ireland, Nusra Front, Philippines, Syria, UNDOF
Al-Qaeda linked Syrian rebel group to try peacekeepers under 'divine law'
The al-Qaeda linked al-Nusra rebel group in Syria says that it's going to try 45 Fijian UNDOF soldiers it captured on the Golan Heights '
under divine law.'
Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights, said that the commander of Al-Nusra Front has declared that the
45 peacekeepers will be tried under "divine law," according to Asharq Al-Aswat as cited by Yedioth Aharonoth.
It was revealed on Monday that the rebels issued three demands
for the release of the peacekeepers: to be taken off the UN terrorist
list, delivery of humanitarian aid to parts of the Syrian capital
Damascus, and compensation for three of its fighters it says were killed
in a shootout with UN officers.
In response, the 15 members of the UN Security Council on
Wednesday demanded the "immediate and unconditional release" of the
Fijians, denouncing their abduction "in the strongest terms."
The statement added that "there can never be any justification
for attacks on or the detention of UN peacekeepers." Fiji has issued a
similar statement calling for the release of its soldiers.
In addition to the 45 Fijian troops, 72 Filipino troops were surrounded by the rebel forces; however, the two units of soldiers from the Philippines managed to escaped over the weekend into Israel.
Very nice that the Security Council responded so 'forcefully,' but will their words be backed up with action? Don't hold your breath.
Labels: Fiji, Golan Heights, Nusra Front, Philippines, Syria, UNDOF, United Nations Security Council
Philippine UNDOF troops escape to Israeli side
A group of Philippine UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) peacekeepers that was captured by Syrian rebels has
escaped to Israel. (The picture is from over a year ago).
Thirty-two UN peacekeepers were rescued from Islamist militants who had fired on their post on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights on Saturday, the United Nations said.
Another group of UN soldiers - also from the Philippines - remained trapped by the Islamists who surrounded their positions on Thursday, and a gun battle was ongoing, the UN press office said.
...
A Reuters cameraman spotted 11 UN armored vehicles returning to their base in Israeli-controlled territory about 12 hours after the peacekeepers came under fire at around 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Saturday.
"All 32 Filipino personnel from this position have been extricated and are now safe," the United Nations press office said in a statement issued in New York.
The remaining troops, at a separate border post, were still under mortar and heavy machine gun fire, the statement said.
"The UN peacekeepers returned fire and prevented the attackers from entering the position," it said. Officials in the Philippines have said there were a total of 72 soldiers trapped in the area.
Another 44 UNDOF peacekeepers, from Fiji, were detained by militants 8 km (5 miles) away from the Philippine troops on Thursday and remain missing.
Arutz Sheva
adds:
According to reports in Syria, dozens of UN peacekeepers from the
Philippines who had been holed up in two military positions in the
Syrian Golan escaped io Israel Saturday. The border gates were opened up
to let them in.
They had been surrounded by Syrian rebels from the Nusra Front.
Filipino UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights clashed with
Syrian rebels Saturday, Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin said in Manila.
He said in an SMS statement to reporters that the Filipino troops had
been "extricated" from one of their two positions but added that
another group of Filipino soldiers "is now under attack".
He was referring to two positions on the Golan Heights where more
than 70 Filipino troops had previously been surrounded by Syrian rebels.
The peacekeepers were besieged by rebels on Thursday but defied
demands that they give up their weapons. On Friday Syrian fighters took
43 Fijian soldiers hostage on the Golan Heights.
Asked if there was a fresh firefight Saturday, Gazmin replied: "Yes".
He said the clash took place at "6am, Syria time," but added that "morale is high" among the troops.
Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala later told AFP that "there is still an ongoing standoff but there was a firefight earlier today".
"All our troops are safe," he said, adding that the defense minister
and head of the military were monitoring developments. He declined to
elaborate further on the incident.
The Fijians are the ones who are really in trouble. They gave up their weapons.
Labels: al-Qaeda, Fiji, Golan Heights, Nusra Front, Philippines, Syrian uprising, UNDOF, United Nations
