The Blue Helmets of UNDOF – the UN force tasked with observing the
separation of the forces of Israel and Syria on the line marking off the
Golan – carried out their first patrol in 4 years along this boundary
line.

The redeployment of the Blue Helmets coincided with the date commemorating
the establishment of the Syrian Arab Army (1 August 1945).

The UN Soldiers had been expelled from their position along the Golan
boundary line on 28 August 2014 and were replaced by al Qaeda terrorists
with the help of the Israeli army.

At that time the UN also had to pay a ransom to secure the liberation of 45
Blue Helmets from the Fiji Islands. They had been kidnapped by al-Qaeda.
That payment had been effected by a bank transfer but the UN never revealed
the identity of the account holder to whom it had sent the money meant for
al Qaeda.

The Blue Helmets now return to their positions along the boundary line of
the Golan under the protection of the Russian military police which has
established another 8 positions to provide an early warning of any
provocation. So confirmed from Moscow General Sergey Rudskoi, Head of the
Department of Operations of the Russian Federation Chief of Staff.

Translation
Anoosha Boralessa