Brigadier Amitabh Jha, acting UN peacekeeping force commander, passes away at Golan Heights amid tensions with Israel

Indian Army confirmed his death on Tuesday. Jha was also serving as the acting Force Commander of UNDOF after the fall of Assad government.

Brig Amitabh Jha, who was serving as the Deputy Force Commander (DFC) of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights, has died due to medical reasons, reported United Nations.

Indian Army confirmed his death on Tuesday. Jha was also serving as the acting Force Commander of UNDOF after the fall of the Assad government.

According to the UNDOF website, Brigadier Jha joined the UNDOF Mission on April 14, 2023. He was an Infantry Officer and prior to his deployment to UNDOF, had commanded a Brigade in Glaciated Mountainous terrain of India, and a Specialised unit as Commanding Officer.

Jha had a keen interest in reading on “military diplomacy, geopolitics, Indo- Pacific, modern & small wars, sub-conventional warfare & tribes & culture,” it said, adding, he was a keen sports enthusiast, who played troop games and enjoyed backpacking in the mountains.

Jha's mortal remains will be brought back to India for his last rites.

Posted in the conflict-ridden Golan Heights, the place has recently witnessed an escalation in attacks in recent months.

Israel captured most of the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.

In 1973, a disengagement agreement was signed between Israel and Syria following the Yom Kippur War. After this the United Nations established a buffer zone in the Golan Heights monitored by UNDOF.

However, increased hostilities between Syria and Israel have led to incidences of firing and shelling raising concerns for peacekeeping forces and civilians living in the area.  

According to UNDOF, Jha played a key role in monitoring ceasefire agreements, facilitating humanitarian efforts and ensuring the safety of civilians.

Indian Army while paying tributes to Brigadier Jha in a post on X said, “#GeneralUpendraDwivedi #COAS and All Ranks of #IndianArmy express deepest condolences on the untimely demise of Brigadier Amitabh Jha due to medical reasons.”

He will be remembered for his leadership and unwavering commitment to United Nations peacekeeping, including in the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) as a Military Observer from 2005 to 2006,” a statement by the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said late on Tuesday.

(With PTI inputs)