Irish troops were sent into the highly-dangerous UN mission in the Golan Heights without missiles that military sources said would have been a "game changer" in any fire-fight with Islamist rebels.

Instead, the Javelin missiles, which cost €70,000 each, remained back in the Curragh Camp in Co Kildare while Irish peacekeepers armed with just machine guns and rifles were caught up in a dramatic gun battle with al-Qaeda-linked rebels.

The revelation comes just weeks after Irish soldiers managed to rescue trapped fellow UN Filipino troops who were surrounded by rebels belonging to the al-Nusra Front militants.

Details of the Irish contingent's armaments were withheld while the troops were effectively trapped inside Syria in order not to jeopardise their safety.

However, the 130-strong Irish mission and around 1,000 other UN troops are now safely inside Israel after an early morning withdrawal last Monday through a "safe corridor" provided by the Israeli Defence Forces.

According to senior military sources, the Javelin weapons could have had a decisive effect if the al-Nusra front, responsible for beheadings and other atrocities, had attempted to overrun the main UN base, Camp Faouar, over the past month.

The Javelin is a "fire and forget" shoulder-launched guided missile that is "very simple to use" and has a devastating effect, military sources say. "You put in the co-ordinates and it does the rest," one military source said.

The Sunday Independent has learned that the Irish UN troops - the main "security" contingent for the UN mission in Golan - were not "heavily armed" as was reported in a number of media outlets, prompted by government and official military sources in recent weeks.

The Irish troops, who were supposed to be the main security element of the UN mission, were armed only with .5 machineguns mounted on their 12 armoured personnel carriers and their personal rifles. In contrast, the al-Nusra fighters are much more heavily armed, with anti-tank missiles, mortars and armoured vehicles taken from the Syrian army.

According to the Government, the decision not to allow Irish troops to use the Javelin missiles was in line with United Nations regulations.

It said in a statement to the Sunday Independent: "The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) mission is equipped for self-defence only. Defence Forces equipment deployed to UNDOF with the Irish contingent were in accordance with the Statement of Unit Requirements agreed with the UN prior to deployment. None of the contingents deployed with UNDOF carry Javelin missile systems."

However, the exact reasons why the Javelin missiles were not deployed in Golan Heights remains unclear.

According to army sources, Israel was concerned the weapons would fall into the Islamists's hands if the Irish position were overrun. But Israel denied this and said it was a decision purely for the UN.

UN rules of engagement state soldiers can carry the missiles, but must keep them from public view.

The UNDOF mission, including the 130-strong Irish contingent, are now "relocated" in the UN logistics camp at Zouani inside Israel. They are safe from attack and there is no reason the Irish contingent cannot be replaced with a new mission over the coming weeks.

Speaking in the Dail last week, Defence Minister Simon Coveney said he was hopeful agreement would soon be reached on changes to the UN mission in the Golan Heights, which would prevent Irish troops from getting caught in the crossfire of Syria's brutal civil war.

"Under no circumstances am I going to send Irish troops on a peacekeeping mission to involve themselves in a civil war and trying to enforce peace on that civil war," he added.

The Deputy Director of the Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Aharon Leshno-Yaar, who was in Dublin last week, praised Ireland's contribution to peacekeeping in the area.

He told Pat Kenny's Newstalk show: "Ireland is a friend of Israel. We thank you for your contribution to UN peace keeping missions in Golan and South Lebanon. Your contribution is fantastic."

Sunday Independent