di Redazione
After being abducted for three days by Syria militants in Golan, 21 UN peacekeepers of the Filipino nationality crossed to freedom in Jordan.
A Jordanian military official said the peacekeepers were greeted by border guards as they crossed from Syria in the afternoon of Saturday and “underwent medical examinations”.
They then boarded an army bus and were given a military escort to the east Amman headquarters of the armed forces where they were “handed over to the UN representative in Jordan, Costanza Farina, in the presence of the Philippines ambassador”, the official added in a statement.
Agence France Presse (AFP) reported that the peacekeepers were also greeted by Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, government spokesman Samih Maaytah and Chief of Staff Mashaal al-Zebn.
The peacekeepers are members of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) monitoring the armistice line between Syria and the Zionist entity that followed the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
A video footage reportedly released by rebels who handed over the peacekeepers and posted by SITE Monitoring Service shows the soldiers in blue UN helmets and vests shaking hands with insurgents as they cross a small stream to Jordan.
“The UN observers are now in Jordanian territory. They were taken to the Jordan border and given to Jordanian authorities…”, the man is heard saying.
The Filipinos were seized by rebels Wednesday near the Armistice line in the first abduction of its kind since the start of the ongoing Syrian crisis.
UN, PHILIPPINE WELCOME SOLDIERS ‘RELEASE
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon “appreciates the efforts of all concerned to secure their safe release”, his office in New York said after the Filipinos crossed over from Syria.
“The secretary general emphasizes to all parties the impartiality of United Nations Peacekeepers”, it added.
The Philippine government on Sunday welcomed the move. President Benigno Aquino “was very happy to receive the news”, his spokeswoman Abigail Valte said.
“The president was very concerned and this is very good news indeed”.
The Foreign Department said in a statement that “the Philippine government and its people express deep appreciation to the Jordanian government and military officials” for their role in transporting and receiving the soldiers .
“The 21 Peacekeepers are in the custody of the Jordanian border patrol headquarters”, military Spokesman Colonel Arnulfo Burgos told reporters.
“The Philippine ambassador is coordinating directly with Jordanian authorities and is ready to receive the 21 peacekeepers”, he said after their ordeal ended on Saturday.
Source: AFP
