UN peacekeepers rescued from Golan Heights

Australia will drop military equipment and aid to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, militants

United Nations/ Ein Zivan, Golan Heights/ Perth, ( Australia), Aug. 31: 32 Philippines UN peacekeepers were rescued on Saturday from Islamists who fired at their post on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights and trapped them for two days, UN officials said, while militants reinforced their siege of another group of 40.

“The situation at Position 68 is calm but tense, as more than 200 militants have assembled around it in the last few hours,” a UN official said, referring to the place where the 40 Philippine peacekeepers were trapped.

A UN diplomatic source said earlier: “As we speak more rebels in more than 20 vehicles are approaching and reinforcing the siege around Position 68.”

The rebels began to arrive at 11 pm local time ( 2000 GMT), added the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The peacekeeping troops are part of UNDOF, a UN force that has monitored the disengagement zone between Israel and Syria since 1974, following the 1973 Arab- Israeli war.

Earlier on Saturday, a Reuters cameraman spotted 11 UN armoured vehicles returning to their base in Israeli- controlled territory about 12 hours after the peacekeepers came under fire at around 6 am ( 0300 GMT).

“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.

Meanwhile, Australia will drop military equipment and aid to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State militants, formerly known as ISIS, in northern Iraq in response to a request from the United States, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Sunday.

“The situation in Iraq represents a humanitarian catastrophe,” Mr Abbott said in a statement. He said Australia would continue to work with international partners to “address the security threat” posed by the militants.