Israel looks to block Syrian military from border, protect Druze, official says

JERUSALEM, July 16 (Reuters) - Israel will not let the Syrian army establish a military presence on their shared border and will protect the Druze population in southern Syria from attack, an Israeli military official said on Wednesday.

The official said Israel was in close contact with the United States over the situation in Syria, adding that Israel was prepared for any eventuality after launching numerous airstrikes over the past 24 hours on Syrian targets.

He added that the Syrian army was part of the problem, not the solution to the crisis, saying it had done nothing to protect the Druze minority.