Philippines welcomes release of peacekeepers
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Filipino UN peacekeepers of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) cross the Quneitra checkpoint between Israel and Syria in the Israeli occpupied Golan Heights on March 9, 2013. A group of 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers seized by Syrian rebels on the Golan were freed and crossed into neighboring Jordan. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
MANILA (AFP) - The Philippine government on Sunday welcomed the release of its 21 UN peacekeepers after they were freed by Syrian rebels and crossed to Jordan, where officials waited to receive them.
The troops, members of a UN force monitoring a 1974 ceasefire between Syria and Israel, were abducted on Wednesday.
"The Philippine government and its people express deep appreciation to the Jordanian government and military officials on the successful safe passing over to the Jordanian side of all our 21 Filipino peacekeepers," a statement said.
Military spokesman Colonel Arnulfo Burgos said the peacekeepers' battalion commander and one of the freed officers had personally confirmed by telephone that they were in Jordanian custody.
