It was the first time that members of the Golan peacekeeping mission, officially known as the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, had been detained by any of the combatants in the Syrian conflict, although the Golan region has been periodically affected by armed clashes and occasional artillery or mortar bombardments that have become a source of concern to Israel.
Josephine Guerrero, a spokeswoman for the Departments of Peacekeeping and Field Support at the United Nations, which oversees the Golan operation, said the group of 20 peacekeepers were detained near a damaged observation post that had been evacuated this past weekend after what she called "heavy combat in proximity" near the village of Al Jamlah. She said in an e-mailed statement that the mission was "dispatching a team to assess the situation and attempt a resolution."
She had no further information on the insurgents involved, but a video uploaded on YouTube by a group that identified itself as the Martyrs of Yarmook claimed responsibility and said the peacekeepers would be held until Syrian government forces had withdrawn from the area. The video does not show any of the captives but does show United Nations vehicles.
The detention of the peacekeepers appeared to underscore the widening risks that the Syria conflict is destabilizing its borders. Earlier in the week more than 40 Syrian soldiers who had sought temporary safety in Iraq were killed in an ambush as the Iraqi military was transporting them back to the Syrian border.
Earlier Wednesday in London, Foreign Secretary William Hague said that Britain was prepared to supply armored all-terrain vehicles, body armor and other "nonlethal military equipment" to the Syrian political opposition, apparently nudging his government's public support for the rebels beyond the food and medical supplies pledged last week by the United States.
"Diplomacy is taking far too long and the prospect of an immediate breakthrough is slim," Mr. Hague said, stressing that the promised new support was designed to protect civilian foes of President Bashar al-Assad, not to arm rebel soldiers.
"Each month of violence in Syria means more death, wider destruction, larger numbers of refugees, and bloodier military confrontation," Mr. Hague told Parliament.
"The international community cannot stand still in the face of this reality."
"Syria today has become the top destination for jihadists anywhere in the world," Mr. Hague said, and should not "become another breeding ground for terrorists who pose a threat to our national security."
His remarks made clear that the offer was directed primarily at civilian figures in the opposition to enable them to "move around more freely."
But he also said Britain would offer training "to help armed groups understand their responsibilities and obligations under international law and international human rights standards."
Additionally, he said, Britain would provide water purification, search-and-rescue gear and other equipment to "enable evidence gathering in the horrific event of chemical weapons use" by the Syrian government.
Rick Gladstone reported from New York and Alan Cowell from London. Hania Mourtada contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon.
