Kazakhstan’s first peacekeeping contingent has completed its one-year mission in the Golan Heights of Syria under the United Nations (UN) mandate and has returned home. This mission was historically significant as it marked Kazakhstan’s first independent peacekeeping operation, according to the national portal “Adyrna.”
In March 2024, 139 Kazakhstani military personnel, including 4 women, were deployed to the Golan Heights along with their equipment and weapons. Over the course of the year, they completed 557 tasks, including 458 mobile patrols, 66 transport missions for military personnel and humanitarian aid, 15 explosive ordnance disposal operations, and reinforcement of guard posts on 3 occasions.
During the mission, Kazakh peacekeepers monitored compliance with the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria. They carried out evacuations of military personnel from peacekeeping bases within their area of responsibility, conducted mobile patrols of controlled territories, neutralized unexploded ordnance and other explosive devices, and escorted UN staff and high-ranking officials within the mission zone and adjacent UN-designated areas.
The significance of this mission is heightened by the fact that Kazakh peacekeepers carried out their first independent operation in a tense conflict zone. During escalations in their area of responsibility, the Kazakh contingent played a key role in holding their base and preventing it from being overrun by insurgents.
Minister of Defense Ruslan Zhaksylykov praised the peacekeepers for their dedicated service, noting that their efforts contributed to enhancing Kazakhstan’s reputation on the international stage. UN leadership also highly commended the professionalism and perseverance of the Kazakh peacekeepers.
Kazakhstan’s peacekeeping efforts continue. A second contingent was deployed to the Golan Heights in April 2025.
