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Report: IDF Saved Irish Troops from Syrian Jihadists

According to a report Sunday, the IDF saved Irish United Nations troops who had come under fire from militants in Syria near the border with the Golan Heights.

The Times of Israel reports:

Senior military sources said that Irish soldiers would have been killed or taken captive if it weren’t for action taken by the IDF on August 30 during a mission to evacuate dozens of Filipino soldiers who were surrounded by a larger force of militants, the Irish Independent reported on Sunday.

Israel reportedly guided the Irish soldiers in their charge to save the trapped members of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, helping them to steer away from concentrations of militant units who would have been able to outgun the Irish force. There were also unconfirmed reports that the IDF fired directly at militant positions during the operation.

Last months, dozens of Filipino peacekeepers sought refuge in Israel after being attacked by Syrian rebels. Fighting between the Syrian army and rebels has intensified on the Golan since late August. The escape of the Irish and Filipino peacekeepers followed the capture of some 40 Fijian peacekeepers by the al Qaeda linked al Nusra Front.

[Photo: Irish Defence Forces / Flickr ]