About half of the U.N. peacekeepers from the Philippines who had been surrounded for days by Islamist militants on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights were safely rescued Saturday during a firefight, according to the United Nations. Thirty-two of the 72 Filipino troops have been extricated, the U.N. said in a statement. The U.N. said another peacekeeper position was under fire, but did not say if the remaining 40 "restricted" Filipino troops were based there. The U.N. said forces were on the release of 44 Fijian peacekeepers who were also detained by Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights.
