The 21 UN peacekeepers taken hostages in the Golan Heights are expected to be freed tomorrow after the Syrian regime agreed to observe a ceasefire in deal with the United Nations.

In New York the United Nations said efforts to secure the Filipinos would resume on Saturday after they were halted amid intense shelling of the area by regime forces today.

"An agreement has been reached between the Syrian regime and the United Nations to stop the bombing between 10:00 am (0800 GMT) and noon (1000 GMT) on Saturday, in order to allow the evacuation of the 21 peacekeepers," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

"A Red Cross delegation should accompany the UN team to the area," to evacuate the peacekeepers."

The Observatory is in contact with the Yarmuk Martyrs battalion, the Syrian rebel group that on Wednesday captured the peacekeepers.

Earlier UN peacekeeping spokeswoman Josephine Guerrero said efforts to secure their release will resume Saturday.

"Arrangements were made with all parties for the release of the 21 peacekeepers," she said "but due to the late hour and the darkness it was considered unsafe to continue the operation. Efforts will continue tomorrow."

UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said Jamla village where the soldiers are being held came under "intense shelling" on Friday.

That was denied by Syrian UN Ambassador Bashar Jaafari, who said Syrian forces were doing "everything in order to bring back safely the peacekeepers."

Abdel Rahman said a UN convoy entered Jamla to collect the peacekeepers on Friday but the army shelled the area.