Philippine withdraws peacekeepers from the Syrian Golan

Manila, SANA_ The Philippine government has withdrawn Filipino peacekeepers from the occupied Syrian Golan after that Filipino troops were exposed to an attack in their positions by the armed terrorist groups last month.

Xinhua quoted Spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala as saying that the first batch of the seventh AFP contingent composed of over 300 Filipino soldiers will arrive Friday evening to the Philippines as 85 other soldiers will arrive next Sunday.

The spokesman said the withdrawal decision is not connected with differences between Filipino security officials and the UN peacekeeping force commander over the recent handling of a now-resolved hostage crisis involving Filipino and Fijian troops in the Syrian Golan.

Last month, the armed terrorist groups kidnapped 45 Fijian peacekeepers and  besieged 81 Filipino soldiers in the vicinity of Roihiniah and Breqa in the Syrian Golan .

The UN Security Council and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned this act.

Ghossoun /