Israeli sympathy turns to outrage as Druze villagers attack ambulance, kill wounded Syrian

JERUSALEM – Israeli leaders are condemning a brutal attack by Druze villagers against a military ambulance carrying wounded Syrians from the bloody civil war raging next door.

Dozens of residents of the Golan Heights attacked the ambulance late Sunday, dragging out two wounded Syrians and beating one to death. The other was evacuated to an Israeli hospital in serious condition.

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon says Monday Israel will not tolerate people taking the law into their own hands.

The Druze, a mysterious sect that began as an offshoot of Shiite Islam, are among Israel's most loyal citizens. But they are also increasingly worried about the plight of their brethren in Syria and are pressuring Israel to take a more active role against Islamic rebels there.