The crisis that began with the standoff on August 28 in the Golan Heights is over for now. In the middle of the night, while Syrian rebels were sleeping, about 40 Filipino peacekeepers evacuated Position 68 and walked 2 kilometers to another UN post, carrying the ammunition that the rebels wanted them to surrender. Monitoring the situation in Manila were about 20 generals gathered inside the war room of Camp Aguinaldo. Upon learning of the successful evacuation, the generals burst into applause, with Philippine military chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr calling it the “greatest escape.” The escape attempt came after 7 hours of heavy firefight on Saturday, when the rebels rammed the gate of Position 68 and riddled the encampment with mortar fire. Filipino troops fired back in self-defense, backed by foreign militaries. The situation in Golan Heights remains tense – the rebels still hold 44 Fijian peacekeepers and are attacking other UN posts.
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