Rebels free UN peacekeepers in Syria

on 09/03/2013 14:34:30

Syrian rebels have freed 21 UN peacekeepers and have handed them to Jordanian authorities, according to an international peace envoy.

Mokhtar Lamani, the Damascus representative of the new UN-Arab League peace envoy to Syria, said the peacekeepers crossed into Jordan this afternoon.

The peacekeepers, all Filipinos, were seized on Wednesday by Syrian rebels who initially said they would only free the hostages if Syrian regime forces withdraw from the area.

They were being held in the village of Jamlah, near the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.