Filipino UN soldiers guarding the Golan Heights remain defiant despite being surrounded by Syrian rebels demanding to surrender their weapons.  Seventy-five UN peacekeepers from the Philippines are ready to fight back in the event that Al-Nusra Front initiates attack on the Syrian-Israeli border, an official from the Philippine Constabulary said.

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Colonel Roberto Ancan confirmed that his men are adequately armed and well-prepared to engage in a deadly force should the situation calls for it.  In August 29, the Al-Nusra rebels, a group associated to Al-Qaeda terrorists, kidnapped 43 Fijian soldiers before taking them as hostages.

The Fijian prisoners are members of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) that maintain cease fire between the conflicting nations.  The Philippine military said their combatants are stationed at two UNDOF towers four kilometers apart. 

On Wednesday, August 27, Al-Nusra exchanged gunfire with the Israeli troops in the Quneitra crossing.  Meanwhile, Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama assured families of the hostages that negotiations to release are underway. 

In response to the standoff against the Filipino soldiers, the UN Security Council issued a statement condemning acts against UN peacekeepers.  Spokesman Stephanie Dujarric also announced that the council is demanding an "unconditional and immediate release" of all the detainees with the help of the international community.

The Philippines announced on Saturday a possibility of withdrawing all its 331 troops serving in UNDOF due to security concerns.  Last year, 25 Filipino peacekeepers were kidnapped in Golan Heights but were consequently set free.  Defense officials said that the Philippines will not be sending new batch of soldiers until the fleet deployed in Golan since October 2013 are sent home.

In 1967, Syria seized 1,200 square kilometers of land from Israel and converted it under their jurisdiction without the approval of the international community.  Currently, 1,200 peacekeepers from Philippines, Fiji, Ireland, Nepal, and the Netherlands are members of the UNDOF. 

TagsIsrael, UNDOF, Al Nusra Front, Al-qaeda