Hezboll supporter holds a poster of Mughniyeh
Hezboll supporter holds a poster of MughniyehReuters

The son of a Hezbollah leader who was eliminated in Syria in 2008 is following in his father’s footsteps and has received a senior role in the Lebanese-based terrorist group, Israel’s Channel 10 News reported on Sunday.

The report, which cited an interview given by an official in the Syrian opposition to CNN Arabic, said that Jihad Mughniyeh, son of Imad Mughniyeh, has been appointed “commander of the Golan Heights area” by Hezbollah.

Mueid Razlan, a member of the Syrian opposition forces fighting the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad, told CNN that the information regarding Mughniyeh’s appointment was received through the rebel army’s intelligence.

According to Channel 10, Razlan also said in the interview that Hezbollah is expanding its operations on the border between Syria and Israel and warned of a possible crisis in the region.

Mughniyeh’s death in a car bomb attack in Damascus in February of 2008 has been blamed on Israel, and Hezbollah has promised to avenge his death.

Israel has never confirmed or denied whether it had anything to do with Mughniyeh’s death. A Lebanese daily in February of 2013 presented what it claimed was a detailed account of his death and fingered the Mossad for it.

The Syrian opposition member’s claims come as tensions continue to rise in the Golan Heights and near the border with Lebanon. Last Friday, an explosion was heard close to an IDF post near the Syrian border in the Golan Heights, causing no injury or damage.

That explosion occurred days after Israel shot down a rogue Syrian Army fighter jet near the Golan Heights with a patriot missile - and after it shot down a Syrian drone after it strayed into Israeli airspace in August.

Last week, Hezbollah attacked Israeli soldiers along the border with Lebanon, wounding two.

Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, later said that the attack was meant to demonstrate the group’s ability to “respond to Israeli violations” and reiterated that his group is prepared to fight Israel if necessary.