United Nations - The UN Security Council is demanding a halt to all military activity by the Syrian government and opposition fighters on the Golan Heights and calling for stepped up measures to protect UN peacekeepers who have been caught in crossfire.
A resolution adopted unanimously by the council Thursday extends the mandate of the U.N. force monitoring the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights until December 31.
Austria announced earlier this month it would pull out its 377 peacekeepers from the 911-member U.N. force after fighting from the Syrian civil war threatened their positions. Fijian troops will replace them, but the U.N. is seeking additional troops to bring the U.N. force to its authorized strength of 1 250 troops.
The council warned that military activity can escalate Israeli-Syrian tensions. - Sapa-AP