UN chief condemns detention of peacekeepers in Syria, calls for release

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned on Tuesday the detention of four U.N. peacekeepers monitoring the ceasefire line between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and called for their immediate release, his spokesman said.

"The Secretary-General calls on all parties to respect UNDOF's (the UN Disengagement Observer Force) freedom of movement and safety and security," Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters.

Syrian rebel group, the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, said earlier on Tuesday they were holding the four Filipino peacekeepers after clashes in the area had put them in danger.