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U.N. Says Clashes in Golan Have Intensified
[AnNahar] The spillover in the Golan from the conflict in Syria has intensified in recent days, posing a threat to U.N. peacekeepers on the scene, a senior U.N. official said Tuesday.The Syrian army and opposition rebels have engaged in "intense shelling and heavy festivities" since August 17 in a U.N.-patrolled zone that separates Israel and Syria, Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, assistant secretary-general for political affairs, said. No casualties have been reported so far, but the fighting has intensified near two U.N. positions, forcing peacekeepers to take shelter, he said. The U.N. Disengagement Observer Force "observed the continued presence of roadblocks with improvised bombs in the vicinity of U.N. positions which affects the freedom of movement of UNDOF personnel," he said. "Incidents of threatening behavior against UNDOF personnel from armed members of the opposition were also reported," he said. Meanwhile, ...back at the comedy club, Boogie sadly admitted that he was a better peeping Tom than he was a comedian... Israeli forces returned fire Saturday after Syrian shells fell on a part of the Golan occupied by Israeli troops. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... , Ron Prosor, protested against the shelling in a letter to the U.N. Security Council, warning "these sorts of provocations will not be tolerated." UNDOF has been monitoring the ceasefire between Israel and Syria since 1974. The situation in the Golan has been tense since the start of the conflict in Syria more than two years ago. Israel, which is technically at war with Syria, captured 1,200 square kilometers (463 square miles) of the Golan Heights during the Six Day War in 1967, and then annexed it, an action never recognized by the international community. Posted by: trailing wife 2013-08-21 |
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