Armed Fighters Seize 20 Peacekeepers in Golan and U.N. Demands Their Release

Armed fighters on Wednesday detained about 20 U.N. peacekeepers in the Golan Heights between Syria and Israel, urging the U.N. to call in a statement for their immediate release.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman said the peacekeepers were from the Philippines.

But the United Nations did not give the nationalities of the U.N. Disengagement Force (UNDOF) troops taken in the latest incident in the tense Golan zone.

U.N. deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey told reporters the U.N. force had "reported that earlier today approximately 30 armed fighters stopped and detained about 20 peacekeepers within the area of limitation."

"The U.N. observers were on a regular supply mission and were stopped near observation post 58, which had sustained damage and was evacuated this past weekend following heavy combat in close proximity, at al-Jamlah," he added.

"The mission is dispatching a team to assess the situation and attempt a resolution," the spokesman said.

The U.N. Security Council issued a statement later on Wednesday, demanding that Syrian rebel fighters release the abducted peacekeepers.

U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said that negotiations were being held with the abductors.

The Security Council "strongly condemned the detention of a group of more than 20 peacekeepers," said a statement read by the 15-nation body read to reporters by Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin.

The statement added that the abduction was carried out "by armed elements of the Syrian opposition."

"The members of the Security Council demanded the unconditional and immediate release of all the detained U.N. peacekeepers and called upon all parties to cooperate with UNDOF in good faith to enable it to operate freely and to ensure full security of its personnel," added the statement.

The United Nations has set up a crisis cell to handle the emergency, diplomats said.

"Negotiations are going on and the matter is mobilizing all our teams," U.N. peacekeeping chief Ladsous said after briefing the Security Council on the abduction. "It is a very serious incident."

Syrian opposition fighters are also believed to be holding an UNDOF staffer who was announced missing on February 25. The staffer is also believed to be a Filipino.

Churkin said that the rebels have made demands but did not give details.

The United Nations has reported a growing number of incidents in the Golan zone, where it has had peacekeepers since 1974 observing a truce accord between Syria and Israel.

The Britain-based Observatory distributed two amateur videos that carried statements by the rebel Yarmuk Martyrs Brigade claiming the peacekeepers' capture.

In one, a man identified as Abu Kaid al-Faleh, a spokesman for the brigade, said the peacekeepers would not be freed until Syrian regime forces pull out from the area.

"We call on them to withdraw all their troops to their bases. If they do not withdraw, these men (U.N. troops) will be treated as prisoners," he said.

In a second video, the same rebel accused the UNDOF of working with the army to try to suppress the insurgency and help regime forces enter Jamla.

"The Syrian regime, the U.N. and the European countries are all collaborators with Israel," he said.

"They all want the (rebel) Free Syrian Army to leave this land. They want us to leave our land and they want the oppressor Bashar Assad to enter because they are collaborators with the Zionists, Israel and America."