Irish troops bound for Syria are undergoing their final training missions before deployment next month. The 129 soldiers from the 44th Infantry Group will be part of the United Nations force based in the Golan Heights.

The group will take over duties from the 43rd Infantry Group who have been based in the disputed region since last September.

The Irish Unit in the Golan Heights in Syria is part of the UN Disengagement Observation Force (UNDOF) which monitors disengagement between Syrian and Israel and has been in place since the end of the Yom Kippur war in 1974.

The UNDOF mandate is entirely unrelated to the current Syrian armed conflict.

Back in November, Irish troops in Syria were hit by a blast that caused minor injuries to one soldier and damage to the army's armoured personnel carrier when an unidentified device hit their MOWAG vehicle.

The patrol was left unhurt by the incident.

Captain Laura Keane of the Defence Forces says the mission will be dangerous but the troops are prepared.