Austrian troops in the UN monitoring force on the Golan Heights began withdrawing on Wednesday

Austrian troops in the UN monitoring force on the Golan Heights began withdrawing on Wednesday, days after Vienna decided to quit the mission over security concerns.
  
A group of 20 soldiers entered the Israeli side of the strategic plateau through the Quneitra Crossing, the only direct passage between the Palestinian occupied territories and Syria, AFP said.
  
The troops arrived in jeeps accompanied by armoured vehicles before crossing through Syrian and Israeli controls.
  
About 50 other soldiers of the 378-strong Austrian contingent were to be withdrawn during the day, sources on the ground said.
  
Austria announced on Thursday that it would withdraw its peacekeepers because of deteriorating security on the Golan Heights. Defence Minister Gerald Klug said the pullout of Austria's soldiers on the Golan would take between two and four weeks.
  
A top Israeli government official told AFP Tuesday that several dozen Austrian troops had already left the mission's headquarters. Israeli public radio said they were administrative staff.