Heavy fighting has broken out between Syrian troops and Al Qaeda linked rebels close to a stretch of the Levant occupied by Israel. Government soldiers battled against insurgents from the Nusra Front group near the disputed Golan Heights territory after militants took control of the UN-operated Quneitra border crossing last week. Several shells struck close to the . ceasefire line as rocket, mortar and tank fire was exchanged - with Israeli public radio reporting that one stray round hit occupied territory but caused no casualties. Golan Heights is a 460 square mile region largely seized from Syria by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War of 1967, then annexed in 1981 in a move never recognised by the international community. Scroll down for video . Fighting: Syrian government soldiers battle against insurgents from the Nusra Front near Golan Heights this morning. Several shells struck close to the ceasefire line as rocket, mortar and tank fire was exchanged . No way through: Israeli soldiers block a main road near the Quneitra border crossing in the occupied Golan Heights following heavy fighting between Syrian troops and the Nusra front . Heavily armed: An Israeli soldier sits in alert position in his Merkava tank in the Golan Heights this morning . This morning Syrian troops battled rebels hard by the armistice line with Israel on the Golan Heights, as the United Nations pressed efforts to free 44 peacekeepers held by the insurgents. The Nusra rebels - operating as Al Qaeda's militia in Syria - stormed the Syrian side of the Quneitra border crossing on Wednesday and seized 44 Fijian peacekeepers who were working as part of a UN mission that has monitored the ceasefire on the strategic plateau since 1974. At least one tank belonging to the Syrian army . loyal to President Bashar al-Assad was also involved and rebels could be . seen a few metres away from the frontier fence. The United Nations yesterday said that the Fijians 'continue to be detained by armed elements'. 'At . this time, no additional information on their status or location has . been established. The United Nations continues to actively seek their . immediate and unconditional release,' it said. Conflict: Syrian troops battled rebels by the armistice line with Israel on the Golan Heights, as the United Nations pressed efforts to free 44 peacekeepers held by the insurgents . Battle: Camouflaged soldiers fighting for the Syrian government fire against insurgents from the Nusra Front group near the disputed Golan Heights . Hiding: Syrian soldiers take position during fighting against rebels near the Quneitra border earlier this morning . Fighting for control: Rebels loyal to the al-Qaeda linked Nusra Front are seen hiding near a fence surrounding the Quneitra border crossing. The group seized the crossing last Wednesday . More . than 70 Philippine peacekeepers who had been surrounded by the rebels . escaped the hot zone over the weekend but the UN mission remained on . high alert. Peacekeepers were detained twice last year before being released safely. Yesterday Israel's military said it shot down a drone that flew from Syria into Israeli-controlled airspace over the Golan. It was not immediately clear who dispatched the unmanned aircraft or the nature of its mission in an area where fighting from Syria's civil war has occasionally spilled over into Israeli-held territory. In a statement, the military said the drone was downed by a Patriot missile near the Quneitra crossing between the Israeli-held Golan Heights and Syria. Syrian army soldiers are seen fighting with rebel militia close to the site of a large explosion earlier today . Defence: Members of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force ride armoured personnel carriers past soldiers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights yesterday . An Israeli soldier sits in his Merkava tank on alert position in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights near the Quneitra crossing with Syria this morning . The . UN Disengagement Observer Force currently has 1,200 peacekeepers from . the Philippines, Fiji, India, Ireland, Nepal and the Netherlands. There has been repeated fire across the ceasefire line since the uprising in Syria erupted in March 2011, not all of it stray. In . June, Israeli warplanes attacked Syrian military headquarters and . positions after an Israeli teenager was killed in what the Jewish state . said was a cross-border attack by forces. Israel . seized 460 square miles of the Golan Heights . during the Six-Day War of 1967, then annexed it in 1981 in a move never . recognised by the international community.
Syrian government troops battling against insurgents from the Nusra Front .
Fighting ongoing close to Israel-occupied Golan Heights area of the Levant .
Al Qaeda linked rebels seized UN-run Quneitra border crossing last week .
UN says 44 Fijian peacekeepers 'continue to be detained by armed elements'
Rocket, tank and mortar fire hit close to Golan Heights border this morning .
Heavy fighting has broken out between Syrian troops and Al Qaeda linked rebels close to a stretch of the Levant occupied by Israel. Government soldiers battled against insurgents from the Nusra Front group near the disputed Golan Heights territory after militants took control of the UN-operated Quneitra border crossing last week. Several shells struck close to the . ceasefire line as rocket, mortar and tank fire was exchanged - with Israeli public radio reporting that one stray round hit occupied territory but caused no casualties. Golan Heights is a 460 square mile region largely seized from Syria by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War of 1967, then annexed in 1981 in a move never recognised by the international community. Scroll down for video . Fighting: Syrian government soldiers battle against insurgents from the Nusra Front near Golan Heights this morning. Several shells struck close to the ceasefire line as rocket, mortar and tank fire was exchanged . No way through: Israeli soldiers block a main road near the Quneitra border crossing in the occupied Golan Heights following heavy fighting between Syrian troops and the Nusra front . Heavily armed: An Israeli soldier sits in alert position in his Merkava tank in the Golan Heights this morning . This morning Syrian troops battled rebels hard by the armistice line with Israel on the Golan Heights, as the United Nations pressed efforts to free 44 peacekeepers held by the insurgents. The Nusra rebels - operating as Al Qaeda's militia in Syria - stormed the Syrian side of the Quneitra border crossing on Wednesday and seized 44 Fijian peacekeepers who were working as part of a UN mission that has monitored the ceasefire on the strategic plateau since 1974. At least one tank belonging to the Syrian army . loyal to President Bashar al-Assad was also involved and rebels could be . seen a few metres away from the frontier fence. The United Nations yesterday said that the Fijians 'continue to be detained by armed elements'. 'At . this time, no additional information on their status or location has . been established. The United Nations continues to actively seek their . immediate and unconditional release,' it said. Conflict: Syrian troops battled rebels by the armistice line with Israel on the Golan Heights, as the United Nations pressed efforts to free 44 peacekeepers held by the insurgents . Battle: Camouflaged soldiers fighting for the Syrian government fire against insurgents from the Nusra Front group near the disputed Golan Heights . Hiding: Syrian soldiers take position during fighting against rebels near the Quneitra border earlier this morning . Fighting for control: Rebels loyal to the al-Qaeda linked Nusra Front are seen hiding near a fence surrounding the Quneitra border crossing. The group seized the crossing last Wednesday . More . than 70 Philippine peacekeepers who had been surrounded by the rebels . escaped the hot zone over the weekend but the UN mission remained on . high alert. Peacekeepers were detained twice last year before being released safely. Yesterday Israel's military said it shot down a drone that flew from Syria into Israeli-controlled airspace over the Golan. It was not immediately clear who dispatched the unmanned aircraft or the nature of its mission in an area where fighting from Syria's civil war has occasionally spilled over into Israeli-held territory. In a statement, the military said the drone was downed by a Patriot missile near the Quneitra crossing between the Israeli-held Golan Heights and Syria. Syrian army soldiers are seen fighting with rebel militia close to the site of a large explosion earlier today . Defence: Members of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force ride armoured personnel carriers past soldiers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights yesterday . An Israeli soldier sits in his Merkava tank on alert position in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights near the Quneitra crossing with Syria this morning . The . UN Disengagement Observer Force currently has 1,200 peacekeepers from . the Philippines, Fiji, India, Ireland, Nepal and the Netherlands. There has been repeated fire across the ceasefire line since the uprising in Syria erupted in March 2011, not all of it stray. In . June, Israeli warplanes attacked Syrian military headquarters and . positions after an Israeli teenager was killed in what the Jewish state . said was a cross-border attack by forces. Israel . seized 460 square miles of the Golan Heights . during the Six-Day War of 1967, then annexed it in 1981 in a move never . recognised by the international community.
troops and Al Qaeda linked rebels close to a crossing last week. Several shells struck close Front near Golan Heights this morning. Several side of the Quneitra border crossing on Wednesday and seized 44 Fijian peacekeepers who were 'continue to be detained by armed elements'. 'At government fire against insurgents from the Nusra