Forty-five United Nations peacekeepers were released by the al Qaeda-linked group Nusra Front in Syria and arrived in Israeli-held territory on the Golan Heights on Thursday, an Israeli military spokeswoman said, according to The Associated Press.
The 45 Fijian soldiers were taken hostage two weeks ago when Islamist militant groups including Nusra attacked them in the volatile frontier area between Syria and Israel, the AP reported.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed their release and, according to a spokesman, demanded that all parties in the area respect the U.N. force's "mandate, freedom of movement and the safety and security of its personnel," according to the AP.
Nusra initially said it held the peacekeepers because they were aiding soldiers loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, the AP reported. The group posted a video on its Twitter and YouTube accounts Wednesday in which the hostages said they expected to be freed soon, the AP reported.
Sources close to Nusra said it demanded the removal of the group from the West's terrorist list, according to the AP.
"We are all safe and alive, and we thank Jabhat al-Nusra for keeping us safe and keeping us alive. I'd like to assure you that we have not been harmed in any way," one hostage, who was not identified, said in the footage, the AP reported.
"We understand that with the limited resources that they have, they have provided the best for us and we truly appreciate it and we thank them. We are thankful that Jabhat al-Nusra has kept its word and that we will be going home," according to the AP.
U.N. Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said "no demands were made and no concessions were made" to secure the release of the peacekeepers, the AP reported. "No ransom was paid," he said.
Qatar, a chief backer of rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, said it played a role in the release, according to the AP.
The official Qatar News Agency reported that the tiny Arab Gulf emirate had "succeeded in the release of the Fijian soldiers" in response to a request from Fiji for its mediation.
