Irish troops withdraw from Syria posts

Irish troops have withdrawn from a series of posts on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights in the last two days.

Defence Minister Simon Coveney has also confirmed that the next deployment of troops to the region is expected to be delayed by two weeks.

The peacekeepers are part of UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) on the Golan Heights, a strip of demilitarised land dividing Israel and Syria since 1974.

UN troops from India, Nepal, the Philippines, and the Fiji Islands were redeployed due to the threat posed from factions in Syria’s civil war, with dozens of peacekeepers abducted by Islamic militants.

A Nepalese contingent will stay on the Syrian side at Mount Hermon, but Irish troops have moved to Camp Ziouani on the Israeli side.

At the review of the 46th Infantry Group in Custume Barracks, Athlone, Co Westmeath, yesterday, Mr Coveney said all of the Irish troops had moved across the ‘alpha line’ into Israeli-controlled territory.