A New Zealand Army officer serving as a United Nations military observer was detained and released by armed men in Syria on Monday, the New Zealand Defence Force has revealed.
The officer was conducting a regular patrol north of the border between Syria and Jordan to verify the on-going ceasefire between Israel and Syria, when his vehicle was stopped by unidentified armed men, the Defence Force said in a statement.
He was detained with his Austrian colleague for about three hours before being released.
The officer was unharmed and has since returned to work.
The officer is part of the eight-strong New Zealand Defence Force contingent supporting the UN Truce Supervisory Organisation in the Middle East.
