UN peacekeepers rescued amid firefight in Syria

The U.N. mission, known as UNDOF, has nearly 12,000 troops from six countries — Fiji, India, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands and the Philippines — who monitor the line between the Israeli-occupied area and Syrian-held area of the Golan Heights.

Earlier on Saturday, Philippines Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said that Philippine peacekeepers at one U.N. encampment were attacked, but those at another were "extricated."

He said that the attack started early on Saturday Syrian time.

There were 40 Filipino troops in the encampment that came under attack, and 35 in the second, according to the Philippine military.

The Syrian rebels also seized 44 Fijian peacekeepers on Thursday. The Fijian peacekeepers were captured at their post several miles away from the Philippine troops.

Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from West Jerusalem, said that there was no news on the fate of the Fijian contingent. 

"Up until now the U.N. have been relying on negotiations to try and get the Fijians out, but as it seems, the troops from the Philippines were released as a result of military action," said our correspondent.

She added that there was little detail available on who was involved in the fight. 

Al Jazeera and wire services