Filipino peacekeepers abducted by al-Qaeda linked rebels

[Jefferson23]

Over 40 Filipino forces reportedly taken captive by Islamist Syrian rebels battling with regime forces on Golan over border crossing.

Yoav Zitun
Published: 08.28.14, 15:20 / Israel News

Syrian militants fighting with the Al-Nusra Fron (Jabhat al-Nusra) have kidnapped over 40 soldiers from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights. According to report and unnamed officials, those abducted include soldiers of Philippine origin.

The news came amid massive fighting near the Quneitra crossing – the sole connections between Israel and Syria – which was seized Wednesday by rebels from Syria in some of the heaviest clashes this year, rebels and residents said on Thursday, and rebels have even posted a video showing the Israeli flag from their side of the border. The video claims that the Free Syrian Army Battalions retook the crossing.

Earlier Thursday, Syrian forces hit the rebels with air strikes after Wednesday's violence wounded two Israelis.

Earlier this week, the Philippines announced they would be recalling their 331-strong peacekeeping force after a number of violent incidents. For example, last September some 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers were kidnapped by Syrian rebels, and after a week were handed safely over to Jordan.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4565290,00.html

[Jefferson23]

1. Filipino bishops to counter ISIS

Associated Press August 28, 2014

MANILA, Philippines: Leaders of the Philippine Roman Catholic Church, Asia's largest, vowed Thursday to counter extremist religions such as that espoused by ISIS militants in Syria and Iraq.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas, who heads the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, also asked the country's bishops to collect donations for Christians who have been displaced by the militants and whose places of worship have been razed "by a godless rage with which no genuine religion can ever identify."

Citing brutal actions by the ISIS group, including the beheading of American journalist James Foley, Villegas said the Philippine Catholic church will "do our part ... to counter the defacement of religion."

"Those who kill and slaughter, wound and maim, destroy and burn in the name of God send the world the awful message that religion divides, that faith is oppressive, that belief can engender so much unkindness," he said in a statement.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Aug-28/268804-filipino-bishops-to-counter-isis.ashx#ixzz3Bh3v1QHr
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)