Antony Blinken speaks to reporters at King Hussein International Airport in Jordan's southern Red Sea coastal city of Aqaba on December 12. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/ReutersIsrael has “been clear” about the reasons for its military actions in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, the top US diplomat said on Thursday. Israel has sent troops into the “buffer zone” between Israel and Syria and launched hundreds of strikes on Syrian air bases, ports and weapons stockpiles across the country this week. It is “really important… that we all try to make sure that we’re not sparking any additional conflicts,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters before departing Jordan for Turkey. “The stated purpose of those actions from the Israelis is to try to make sure that equipment that’s been abandoned — military equipment that’s been abandoned by the Syrian army — doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, terrorists, extremists, etc.

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Persons: Antony Blinken, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Assad, Israel, “, that’s, —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, ” Organizations: King Hussein International Airport, Reuters, White House Locations: Jordan's, Red, Aqaba, Reuters Israel, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Jerusalem