The plane with 97 Croatian UNDOF observers landed at Pleso Airport in the Croatian capital on Monday evening, and at the ceremony welcoming the Croatian peacekeepers the Armed Forces chief-of-staff Lieutenant General Drago Lovric said that "the decision on your withdrawal was made for security reasons, after we assessed that the war events in Syria may put your security at risk. The safety and security of Croatian troops in peace missions is the most important criterion when deciding on participation or withdrawal from peace operations."

General Lovric said that the entire operation of the pull-out of Croatian UNDOF members had lasted six days under the command of the Croatian army command structure.

"Your safe and organised return to the Republic of Croatia is yet another proof that we are a responsible, professional and well-trained army capable of carrying out any task," he added.

Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said in late February that Croatia would pull out its 97 observers from the Golan because their security could not be guaranteed after foreign media reports that Croatia was allegedly selling weapons to Syrian rebels. The New York Times reported that Croatia is "selling weapons that were being funneled to antigovernment fighters in Syria."

The decision on the pull-out came after The New York Times reported in late February that "Saudi Arabia had underwritten a large purchase of infantry arms in Croatia."

"Croatia has denied selling weapons to either Saudi Arabia or the Syrian rebels. But Mr. Milanovic said that reports of the sales had put Croatian soldiers at risk and that he was compelled to withdraw them because their safety could no longer be assured." Immediately after the publication of the article in the NYT on the provision of arms from Croatia to Syrian rebels, both the Croatian foreign and defence ministry promptly denied such claims.