Ukraine in Arabic | UN peacekeepers released from captivity
KYIV/Ukraine in Arabic/ A group of UN peacekeepers from Fiji, captured in the Golan Heights two weeks ago, have been released.
The rebels, from Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Nusra Front, captured the peacekeepers two weeks ago after they overran the Quneitra border crossing between Israel and Syria, surprising the U.N. troops. The incident highlighted the growing control by Islamist rebels of key positions along the sensitive frontier, where a 1,200-member U.N. force monitors a buffer zone between the two countries.
Fiji's prime minister described the peacekeepers as heroes in a statement Friday.
"They kept their cool and showed restraint under the most extreme circumstances imaginable. Because of their discipline, not one militant was killed and none of our soldiers were harmed," Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said in a statement.
The peacekeepers will be debriefed, he said, and "obviously deserve a period of rest before they return to their duties."
Bainimarama also praised the courage of the peacekeepers' families.
"They were naturally distressed and anxious during this difficult time, but they never once questioned why their loved ones were sent to the Golan Heights in the first place," he said. "They know better than anyone else that our mission is to bring peace and security to people living in troubled areas around the world."