122 TROOPS RETURNED to Ireland yesterday evening following six months deployed in the Golan Heights region in Syria.
The Defence Forces members landed in Dublin Airport at 6.50pm yesterday evening.
The troops were from the 60th infantry group in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force.
The group flew through Damascus International Airport, which the Defence Forces said was the first rotation to do so since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
Before their journey home, the troops were in self-isolation for 14 days. When they arrived, the were subject to a medical screening of a temperature check and screening for symptoms of Covid-19.
They were returned to their home barracks and they will now self-isolate for a further two weeks.
The troops were drawn from different Defence Forces units in the army, naval service and the air corps.
The majority came from the 6th Infantry Battalion in a barracks in Athlone.
They will be replaced in Syria by the 61st Infantry Group who also underwent medical screenings and will enter into 14 days of self-isolation upon arrival in Syria.
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