Austrian peacekeepers begin withdrawal from Golan Heights

A group of Austrian peacekeeping troops withdrew from the Golan Heights Wednesday and are on their way home via Israel, reported Xinhua, citing an Austrian diplomatic source.

The troops are part of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights, an area occupied by Israel in the aftermath of the 1967 war.

As many as 67 soldiers left their posts on Wednesday morning via the Quneitra crossing and are headed to Vienna after departing from Israel's international Ben Gurion Airport, the diplomat in the Austrian embassy told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Austria had decided 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 seized the UN-manned Quneitra interim border crossing in fierce battles against Syrian troops, who later retook the site.

The Austrian government is set to discuss the pull out of the remaining Austrian troops along with members of the United Nations in the upcoming days.