Philippine Peacekeepers

All 75 Filipino troops serving as UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights are safe after the last batch slipped away under cover of night from besieging Syrian rebels, military spokesmen said on Sunday.

Thirty-two U.N. 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.

Dozens of heavily armed Philippine peacekeepers defied Syrian rebels on Friday in a Golan Heights standoff, hours after the fighters took hostage 43 Fijian soldiers there, the Filipinos' commander said.

Dozens of heavily armed Philippine peacekeepers defied Syrian rebels on Friday in a Golan Heights standoff, hours after the fighters took hostage 43 Fijian soldiers there, the Filipinos' commander said.

The Philippines said on Saturday it will repatriate over 400 of its troops serving as UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights and Liberia amid security threats and concerns over the Ebola virus.

After months of sharp differences, Russia and the United States have agreed to push both sides in Syria to find an end to the bloodshed, offering to hold an international conference in search of peace.

An armed group on Tuesday abducted four UN peacekeepers from the Philippines in the Golan Heights, which has been hit by a mounting spillover from the Syrian civil war, the United Nations said.

The Philippines still expects its 21 UN peacekeepers held hostage in the Golan Heights to be freed despite shelling by Syrian forces that scuttled a handover, military officials said on Saturday.

The Philippine government said Syrian rebels failed to release 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers on Friday and stuck to their demands for repositioning of Syrian government forces before any handover.

Syrian rebels who seized 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights want the Red Cross to escort them out of the area because of fighting with Syrian government forces, the Philippine military said on Friday.

Several United Nations peacekeepers from the Philippines who were abducted by Syrian rebels said in videos posted online Thursday that they are safe and sound, even as activists reported clashes and shelling in the area where U.N. troops are being held.

Armed fighters linked to the Syrian opposition detained 21 UN peacekeepers from the Philippines on Wednesday in the increasingly volatile zone separating Israeli and Syrian troops on the Golan Heights, a new escalation in the spillover of Syria's civil war.

All 75 Filipino troops serving as UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights are safe after the last batch slipped away under cover of night from besieging Syrian rebels, military spokesmen said on Sunday.

Thirty-two U.N. 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.

Dozens of heavily armed Philippine peacekeepers defied Syrian rebels on Friday in a Golan Heights standoff, hours after the fighters took hostage 43 Fijian soldiers there, the Filipinos' commander said.

Dozens of heavily armed Philippine peacekeepers defied Syrian rebels on Friday in a Golan Heights standoff, hours after the fighters took hostage 43 Fijian soldiers there, the Filipinos' commander said.

The Philippines said on Saturday it will repatriate over 400 of its troops serving as UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights and Liberia amid security threats and concerns over the Ebola virus.

After months of sharp differences, Russia and the United States have agreed to push both sides in Syria to find an end to the bloodshed, offering to hold an international conference in search of peace.

An armed group on Tuesday abducted four UN peacekeepers from the Philippines in the Golan Heights, which has been hit by a mounting spillover from the Syrian civil war, the United Nations said.

The Philippines still expects its 21 UN peacekeepers held hostage in the Golan Heights to be freed despite shelling by Syrian forces that scuttled a handover, military officials said on Saturday.

The Philippine government said Syrian rebels failed to release 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers on Friday and stuck to their demands for repositioning of Syrian government forces before any handover.

Syrian rebels who seized 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights want the Red Cross to escort them out of the area because of fighting with Syrian government forces, the Philippine military said on Friday.

Several United Nations peacekeepers from the Philippines who were abducted by Syrian rebels said in videos posted online Thursday that they are safe and sound, even as activists reported clashes and shelling in the area where U.N. troops are being held.

Armed fighters linked to the Syrian opposition detained 21 UN peacekeepers from the Philippines on Wednesday in the increasingly volatile zone separating Israeli and Syrian troops on the Golan Heights, a new escalation in the spillover of Syria's civil war.