( CNN ) -- The 45 U.N. peacekeepers seized in the Golan Heights have been freed and are in good condition , the United Nations said Thursday . The peacekeepers -- all from Fiji -- were captured two weeks ago by the al-Nusra Front , an al Qaeda affiliate , in the buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied territory . The personnel were handed over to the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force . A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said discussions had been ongoing with captors by `` various parties '' at `` various levels '' to obtain the peacekeepers ' release . The U.N. Disengagement Observer Force has overseen a buffer zone in the Golan Heights since 1974 to maintain a ceasefire between Israel and Syria . Fighting from Syria 's civil war spilled over into the buffer zone last week . Al-Nusra Front used civilian cars to take the peacekeepers to a U.N. base on the Syrian side of the border , a CNN source said , and the troops walked about 200 meters to the Israeli-occupied Golan side . U.N. vehicles then took the troops to the U.N. observer force command center , the source said . Ban 's spokesman said the secretary-general `` appreciates the efforts of all concerned to secure their safe release . '' `` The Secretary-General emphasizes to all parties the impartiality of United Nations peacekeepers , '' the spokesman said . `` The Secretary-General demands that all parties respect UNDOF 's mandate , freedom of movement and the safety and security of its personnel . '' Fiji 's prime minister described the peacekeepers as heroes in a statement Friday . `` They kept their cool and showed restraint under the most extreme circumstances imaginable . Because of their discipline , not one militant was killed and none of our soldiers were harmed , '' Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said in a statement . The peacekeepers will be debriefed , he said , and `` obviously deserve a period of rest before they return to their duties . '' Bainimarama also praised the courage of the peacekeepers ' families . `` They were naturally distressed and anxious during this difficult time , but they never once questioned why their loved ones were sent to the Golan Heights in the first place , '' he said . `` They know better than anyone else that our mission is to bring peace and security to people living in troubled areas around the world . '' CNN 's Kareem Khadder and Chieu Luu contributed to this report .
Fiji : Fiji 's prime minister calls the peacekeepers heroes . The United Nations says they are in good hands . They had been targeted by an al Qaeda group .