Eighty-one Filipino peacekeepers under the United Nations Disengagement
Observer Force (UNDOF) are holding their ground against Syrian rebels
who surrounded them after they refused to surrender their weapons in
Golan Heights, the United Nations confirmed yesterday.
Before trapping the Filipinos, the Syrian rebels occupied the
position of 43 peacekeepers from Fiji near the Quneitra crossing and
ordered them to surrender their firearms. However, upon surrendering
their firearms, the peacekeepers from Fiji were immediately held
hostage.
Later, the Syrian rebels tried to take the Filipinos’ position and ordered them to surrender their weapons.
Learning from the Fijians’ experience, the 81 Filipino soldiers
refused to surrender their firearms and opted to hold their ground.
“They are well experienced and they know the risks that they have to face,” he added.
Ancan assured the Filipino public that the Philippine peacekeepers are well armed and in a “well fortified position.”
President Aquino cut short his Oriental Mindoro trip to deal with the situation.
He however assured that the situation is stable, although he admitted that there is tension.
“Right now, although the situation is tense, I think there was no
danger reported so far to our Department of National Defense,” Aquino
said.
“They have M4 assault rifles, M69 light machine guns, K3 squad
automatic weapons, and caliber .45 pistols as well as sufficient
ammunition to defend themselves,” said Ancan.
AFP spokesman Gen. Domingo Tutaan, Jr., for his part, stressed that
while Philippine government and UN officials are already trying to
peacefully resolve the situation, “the Philippine peacekeeping
contingent has the right to defend its position.”
“Our soldiers are prepared, trained and capable of dealing with these
situations and will take risks to fulfill our commitment to
international security and peace,” said Tutaan.
The office of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the Filipino
peacekeepers are “currently being restricted to their positions in the
vicinity of Ar Ruwayhinah and Burayqah.”
It was not specified in the UN statement what armed group was holding
the Fiji peacekeepers. Various Syrian rebel groups, including the
al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, have been fighting the Syrian military near
the Golan Heights.
But the US State Department pointed the finger at Al-Nusra.
“This resulted in a standoff which is still the prevailing situation
at this time, as UN officials try to peacefully resolve the situation,”
said a statement from the Philippine Department of National Defense
(DND).
“I just like to emphasize that our troops are well armed, they are
well trained before their deployment … and they are well disciplined
warrior peacekeepers,” said Col. Roberto Ancan, commander of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Peacekeeping Operations Center, in a
press conference at Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.
