Ireland to withdraw troops from border between Syria, Israel soon
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Ireland announced its intention to withdraw its troops from a UN peacekeeping force between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights.
Irish Defense Minister Micheál Martin informed the government of his decision to withdraw the 130 infantry troops stationed on the Syrian side of the border as part of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) shortly.
The decision followed an “assessment of the sustainability of the [Irish military’s] overseas commitments,” Martin said.
He noted that the exact date of the withdrawal will be discussed with the UN Department of Peace Operations.
The 130 Irish troops will be replaced by the 67th Infantry Group, according to the Irish Defense Minister.
“The withdrawal of troops from Undof [UNDOF] will also relieve ongoing challenges in respect of the filling of certain specialist roles in overseas deployments,” he said.
The UNDOF on the Golan Heights has been tasked to maintain a ceasefire between Syria and Israel since 1974.
The UNDOF was established in May 1974 following the agreed disengagement of the Syrian and Israeli forces on the Golan Heights that ended the 1973 Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War.