Minister for Defence Simon Coveney reviewed troops at Collins Barracks in Cork today ahead of their deployment to the Golan Heights later this month.
130 members of the 50th Infantry group will be the fifth Irish contingent to be deployed on a six-month tour of duty with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), since September 2013.
UNDOF was established in the Golan Heights following the Six Day War between Israel, Syria and Egypt in 1973, but the region has become increasingly unstable in recent times.
Minister for Defence @simoncoveney reviewing @defenceforces 50th Infantry Group ahead of deployment to Golan Heights. pic.twitter.com/KBOFaU7IvP
— Jennie O'Sullivan (@OSullivanJennie) September 21, 2015
The Irish contingent, under the command of Lt Col Daragh McKevitt, is made up of 14 officers, one chaplain, and 115 enlisted personnel.
It will provide armoured force protection for UNDOF personnel, and provide support for observation posts throughout the area of separation.
The area of separation in the Golan Heights region between Israel and Syria is over 75km long, and varies in width between 10km and 200m.
The terrain is hilly and dominated in the north by Mount Hermon.
