As the civil war in Syria has expanded to the Golan Heights border area with Israel, the terrain of the unarmed UN peacekeeping force, Austria has announced it is pulling its troops. Austrian troops make up over 30% of the force, having served for the past decades to maintain the demilitarized zone.

According to foreign media reports, the UN forces in the Quneitra area have already taken cover in a protected area in the Golan under Israeli control. The Austrian delegation accounts for 380 of the 1,000 strong force.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)