US troops killed while on patrol in northern Syria

The military said it was still gathering information. Early reports said at least two soldiers were killed.

The soldiers were killed during an explosion in the northern town of Manbij. A total of 16 people including nine civilians died in the blast according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In a tweet, the US military said: “We are still gathering information and will share additional details at a later time.”

The Kurdish Hawar news agency, based in northern Syria, said three Americans were killed. Reuters cited an unnamed US official who claimed four troops have been killed and three wounded.

It comes weeks after Donald Trump said he would pull US forces out of Syria.

An Islamic State affiliated website claimed the blast was carried out by one of its suicide bombers.

The attack appears to be the deadliest on US forces in Syria since they deployed on the ground in 2015.

Only two troops had been killed in action in Syria previously, a Pentagon spokesman said.

Last month, Mr Trump made the surprise announcement that he would withdraw all 2,000 US troops from Syria, concluding that IS had been defeated.

His announcement led to the resignation of Jim Mattis as defence secretary.

One witness in Manbij said the blast had targeted a restaurant where US personnel were meeting members of the local militia.

Earlier this month, two British special forces soldiers were seriously injured in an IS missile attack in Syria.

Source: Read Full Article