New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) One hundred and seventy-nine Indian Army personnel leave for the Golan Heights Monday to replace an equal number serving on UN peacekeeping duties on the Israel-Syria frontier.

The new group comprises officers and men of the Corps of Engineers, Corps of Signals, Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers and the Army Medical Corps and will provide logistics support to the Indian Army's 17 Horse regiment commanded by Lt. Col. J.S. Bakshi that is serving with the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).

Addressing the contingent here Friday, Maj. Gen. R.P.S. Malhan, additional director general (Staff Duties) at Army Headquarters, reminded them of the excellent track record of the Indian Army during UN missions and exhorted them to improve further improve this.

Malhan also complimented 17 Horse for its accomplishments so far and expressed his faith that the unit would continue to perform well and live up to its high expectations during its tenure.

17 Horse, also called Poona Horse, is the only cavalry regiment of the Indian Army to earn the sobriquet "Bravest of Brave". It enjoys the singular distinction of having won four Victoria Cross in the pre-partition era and two Param Vir Chakras in the 1965 and 1971 operations against Pakistan. The regiment has also won 37 battle honours for its unflinching commitment, honour, steadfastness, élan and sacrifice.

Nearly 8,000 Indian Army soldiers currently serve under the UN flag worldwide in all the major hotspots - Lebanon, the Sudan, Congo, and Ehtiopia/Eritrea.

The UN force in the Golan Heights comprises about 10,000 soldiers drawn from countries like Austria, Australia, Japan, Nepal, Poland and Slovakia. Maj. Gen. Balanand Sharma of Nepal is its commander.

Israel captured the Golan Heights, which originally belonged to Syria, during the six-day war of 1967. The 80-km area, at a height of 7,000-9,000 feet is known for its fertile soil and the source of all major rivers that flow through Israel. Its population now comprises citizens of both Israel and Syria and the job of the UN peacekeepers is to keep both of them - and the two armies - apart.

UNDOF serves under Chapter 6 of the UN charter, which means the soldiers can fire back only if fired upon but cannot independently open fire, no matter what the provocation.