Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — Sunni rebels have again attacked United Nations
peacekeepers in Syria.

On May 7, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon reported that Sunni rebels
captured four members of the UN Disengagement Observer Force in Syria’s
Golan Heights.

The rebels were identified as members of the Al Qaida-aligned
Yarmouk Martyrs Brigades, which operates in southern Syria.

“The secretary-general calls on all parties to respect UNDOF’s freedom
of movement and safety and security,” a UN statement said.

The UN said the capture of the four peacekeepers took place around
Jamla in the Golan Heights. UNDOF’s mandate to maintain the 1974 truce
between Israel and Syria includes operations around Jamla.

This marked the second abduction of UN troops in as many months. On
March 6, rebels captured 21 UNDOF officers from the Philippines and held them for four days before they were released to neighboring Jordan.

In a statement, Yarmouk denied that the UN officers, three of them from
the Philippines, were kidnapped. The rebel group said the four UNDOF members
were being held for their own safety.

UN undersecretary-general Herve Ladsous told the Security Council that
UNDOF remains at risk in the Golan. Later, Ladsous told a briefing that
UNDOF reduced its activities amid the rebel threat and was ordered to travel
in armored vehicles.

  Ban Ki-Moon, Herve Ladsous, Syrian rebels with Al Qaida ties capture UN peacekeepers, UN Disengagement Observer Force, Yarmouk Martyrs Brigades