JERUSALEM, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Austrian peacekeeping troops started to withdraw from the Golan Heights Wednesday, days after the Austrian government decided to end its participation in the UN mission in the area due to the spillover of the raging civil war in Syria.
Xinhua reporters Wednesday morning saw a convoy of jeeps reaching the UN peacekeeping force's base in the Israel-held part of Golan Heights via the Quneitra crossing from the Syrian side. Later five buses were seen leaving the UN base with peacekeepers aboard.
An Austrian peacekeeper, who was not among those departing Wednesday, told Xinhua that about 60 Austrian peacekeepers left their posts in the buffer zone in the Syria-held part of Golan Heights and are expected to arrive in the Austrian capital of Vienna tonight from Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv.
The peacekeeper, who asked not to be named as he was not authorized to talk to the press, said the withdrawal of the 380- strong Austrian contingent is expected to be completed by August. According to him, 370 Austrian soldiers were stationed in the buffer zone inside Syria before the withdrawal began.
The peacekeeper said the withdrawal was originally scheduled to take place Tuesday but was postponed due to organization reasons.
"The situation is calm right now (in areas surrounding the Austrian peacekeepers' posts in the buffer zone), but it can change within minutes," he said.
"We cannot influence anymore, it's a political decision. Politicians decided that it became too dangerous and we have to follow the instructions so finally we have no possibility to change it," he added.
Wednesday's withdrawal was confirmed by a diplomat at the Austrian Embassy in Israel. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that as many as 67 soldiers left Syria Wednesday morning via the Quneitra crossing, the only passage point between Syria and Israel.
The Austrian troops are part of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which has been deployed in the Golan Heights since 1974 to monitor the ceasefire between Syria and Israel. The bulk of the Golan Heights was occupied by Israel in the aftermath of the 1967 Mideast war. Syria and Israel agreed to the deployment of the UN force after the 1973 Mideast war.
Austria decided on Thursday to withdraw its 380 personnel, more than a third of the 1,000-strong UNDOF peacekeepers, from the Golan Heights. The decision came hours after rebels briefly seized the Quneitra border post on the Syrian side of the Golan in fierce battles with Syrian troops, who later retook the site. Two UN soldiers were wounded in the fighting.
The Austrian government is set to discuss the pullout of the remaining Austrian troops along with members of the United Nations in the upcoming days.
The UNDOF also includes troops from India, the Philippines, and some other countries. Japan, Croatia and Canada have withdrawn their forces in the past few months for security concerns. The Philippine government also indicated its intention to quit the mission in May after four Filipino soldiers were kidnapped by Syrian rebels.
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