The United Nations is considering reducing the number of peacekeepers on the Golan Heights as the area's security has been shaken by the presence of armed groups from the Syrian conflict, a UN official said Tuesday, DPA reported.
Herve Ladsous, the head of the UN peacekeeping operations, said it has become a fact that armed opposition forces have "entered the areas of operations" of the UN Disengagement Forces (UNDOF). The Syrian rebels captured 21 UNDOF soldiers this month, but set them free days later.
"We are planning to reduce the footprint of UNDOF, adjust the position of the troops to make it more static and add confidence building measures," Ladsous told reporters following a closed-door session with the UN Security Council.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, council president for March, said the armed groups have behaved "provocatively" in the UNDOF areas.
Ladsous said armoured vehicles would be provided to the unarmed peacekeepers while the UN was calling for respect of the neutrality of UNDOF, which was deployed in 1974 to monitor the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria.
UNDOF is composed of 1,008 troops from Austria, the Philippines, India and Croatia. Some of the troops were being sent home while the UN is seeking replacement from UN members.