Filipino peacekeepers return from Middle East

More than 300 soldiers have returned from a nine-month peacekeeping tour of a disputed territory that straddles the borders of Israel and Syria, longtime enemies in the region.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines  on Thursday formally awarded United Nations (UN) service medals to the 333-strong 4th Philippine contingent to Golan Heights.

Contingent commander Colonel Cornelio Valencia Jr. said the peacekeeping units were deployed to enhance the patrolling system of the borders because of the current unrest in Syria.

The contingent, composed of members of the Army’s 76th Infantry Battalion (IB), also cleared the area of unexploded mines.

“The area is dangerous because of undetected unexploded mines,” Valencia said, adding their explosive ordnance disposal team was able to recover four pieces of empty shells of hazardous materials.

UN peacekeeping operations aim to prevent the outbreak of hostilities in the Golan Heights which is fiercely contested by the two nations and is seen as a potential flash point in the Middle East.

The Golan Heights serves as a crossing gate for civilians who want to travel from Syria to Israel and vice versa.

The 4th Philippine contingent to Golan Heights was composed of 49 officers and 278 enlisted personnel, most of whom are from the 76th IB based in Quezon province. With a report from Tina G. Santos