Gruesome footage of an execution of Syrian Army soldiers by rebel forces. Photo: Screenshot.

Shots were fired on Thursday night near an Israel Defense Force outpost in the Golan Heights, as continued fighting between Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad and rebels streamed into Israel, Channel 2 reported in an interview with IDF Colonel Tamir Heyman, who sees the rebels as a new “potential threat.”

Colonel Heyman, commander of the IDF division in the Golan Heights for the past two years, said, “Over the past year the rebels conquered the area along the southern plateau. Assad’s army has gone. There are many armed groups here, and I see them as a potential threat.”

Despite the presence of the rebels, Colonel Heyman said IDF troops in the area were sufficient to protect Israeli citizens in the Golan: “At this point, with the elements of the defense – including those beyond the fence that we can’t specify- that’s enough. In my understanding, the Syrian regime is trying desperately not to drag us into direct confrontation. It’s just not worth it for them.”

Last month, rebels opened fire at an IDF patrol near Tel Fares, Golan Heights, Channel 2 said. The incident began when an IDF patrol saw two Syrian rebel forces entering an abandoned army post, located east of the security fence. There were no injuries and no damage, and the soldiers returned fire.

In the interview, Colonel Heyman described the barbaric nature of the Syrian rebels’ modus operandi. In the video footage below, at 01:50, Channel 2 shows a gruesome clip of an execution-style, point-blank slaying of captives.

Watch the Channel 2 interview (in Hebrew), below.