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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Soldiers from Donegal before they returned home from Syria on Friday.
Nine Donegal soldiers returned home as part of the last Irish Defence Forces group to serve in Syria.
They were among the 133 soldiers from the 68th Infantry Group who touched down at Dublin Airport on Friday.
Ireland has withdrawn its troops from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) which monitors the border between Syria and Israel.
The UN has been there since May 1974 with Irish troops joining the mission on the Golan Heights in 2013.
The 68th Infantry Group had a large logistical mission, too, as the last batch of Irish soldiers to serve in the region with almost 23 million worth of material, including some 280,000 pieces of equipment and 30 vehicles, having to be returned to Ireland.
Soldiers in the 68th Infantry Group had spent the last six months on the Golan Heights line of separation under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Clear.
Company Quartermaster Sergeant Tommy Campbell, a native of Redcastle who is based with the 28th Infantry Battalion at Finner Camp was among the nine Donegal soldiers to come back into Terminal 1 at Dublin Airport on Friday.
They also included Kilcar natives Sergeant Ronan Diver of the 2nd Brigade Tpt, Finner Camp and Corporel Christopher McFadden, who is based with the 28th Infantry Battalion at Finner Camp. Fellow Finner-based soldiers Sergeant Garreth Bonner from Letterkenny and Private William Brogan from Newtowncunningham were also on the mission.
Corporel Christopher McCauley from Letterkenny and Convoy's Private Joshua Gibson are each attached to the Cathal Brugha Barracks in Dublin.
Captain Tara Khan from Ballyshannon and Malin Head's Private Matthew Quirke serve at Custume Barracks in Athlone.
They were among the 16 officers, 116 enlisted personnel and one chaplain on the chartered plane that hit Irish tarmac on Friday.
Last year, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin announced the withdrawal of the Irish soldiers in the Golan Heights.
The decision was taken due to manpower pressures within the Defence Forces with Irish troops now set to join the EU Battlegroup.
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