UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations Security Council on Thursday extended the mandate of its force monitoring the ceasefire in Syria's Golan Heights for another six months.

In a resolution adopted unanimously, the Security Council agreed to renew the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) until December 31 as recent events have put the long-held ceasefire between Israel and Syria in jeopardy.

Furthermore, the Council called on both sides to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any breaches of the ceasefire in the disputed region. The extension came after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon denounced the killing of civilians in two recent incidents.

In his latest report, Ban informed that on May 15 and June 5 demonstrations in the UNDOF's area of operations resulted in civilians being killed. The two protests were staged to commemorate the displacement of Palestinians from the area in 1948 and 1967.

UNDOF was first established in 1974 to monitor that the ceasefire between Israel and Syria, agreed after the 1973m war, is enforced in the disputed Golan Heights area. The Secretary-General considered the mission's presence as "essential" under the prevailing circumstances.

Earlier this month, Israel complained to the UN after scores of people were killed during clashes in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on June 5. The fighting was described as the most serious incident in the area since Israel and Syria, assisted by Egypt, fought a major war for control of the strategic Golan Plateau in 1973.

The number of casualties of the violent clashes is still unconfirmed but it is estimated that at least 20 people were killed and over 350 more were injured, according to details provided by Syrian state media.

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