Phl to withdraw troops from Golan Heights, Liberia

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippines plans to pull out its troops deployed in conflict-affected areas in Golan Heights and Liberia for peacekeepers' security, the military said today.

The Filipino 331-member contingent serving as United Nations Disengagement Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights will be repatriated within this year, the country's Department of National Defense (DND) said in a statement.

The move follows the withdrawal of other troop-contributing countries as the conflict in Syria intensified in 2013.

Meanwhile, the Filipino troops deployed to the U.N. Mission in Liberia will also be repatriated as soon as possible in the wake of rising health risk posed by the outbreak of Ebola virus in Africa, The DND said.