American troops have been killed in a terrorist attack in Syria.
The attack comes as President Donald Trump has stated he wants to pull troops out of the region, CBS News reported.
A handful of U.S. troops have reportedly been caught up in an attack in northern Syria, and a monitoring group says Americans are among the dead. The U.S.-led military coalition in Syria, Operation Inherent Resolve, confirmed in a tweet only that coalition members had “conducted a routine patrol” in Syria on Wednesday, and said it was still gathering information.
The coalition did not confirm the reports that American forces were present in the city of Manbij, not far from the Turkish border, when an explosion hit a coalition vehicle convoy on Wednesday.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told CBS News on Wednesday that President Trump had been “fully briefed and we will continue to monitor the ongoing situation in Syria.” She referred all further questions to the U.S. military.
Manbij is just 20 miles from the border with Turkey, in an area held by Kurdish forces allied with the U.S. military coalition fighting ISIS. The terror group’s self-styled news agency Amaq reported online that the attack was carried out by a member of the group wearing a suicide vest.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters that 14 people were killed in the attack, including two U.S. soldiers.
The U.S. about 2,000 troops still in Syria, though President Trump has ordered a withdrawal which is expected to be completed within four months.
CJTF-OIR is aware of open source reports regarding an explosion in Syria. Coalition forces conducted a routine patrol in Syria today. We are still gathering information and will share additional details at a later time.
— OIR Spokesperson (@OIRSpox) January 16, 2019
Videos posted to social media in Syria showed a coalition helicopter hovering over the area before landing in a nearby soccer field. Another shows it taking off, and separate clips show what appear to be U.S. forces on the ground around the scene of the explosion.
Two US soldiers ‘among the dead’ after ISIS suicide bomber blows up outside a restaurant in Syria https://t.co/jwLSMBcucr
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) January 16, 2019
FOX NEWS ALERT: ISIS attacks U.S.-patrolled city in Syria pic.twitter.com/zsdafKDK8W
— America’s Newsroom (@AmericaNewsroom) January 16, 2019
Breaking: ISIS claims responsibility for blast in U.S.-patrolled Syrian city, the first such attack since Trump announced withdrawal https://t.co/DFyrrOr4ef
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 16, 2019
#ISIS claims responsibility for ‘attack on US patrol’ in #Syria‘s #Manbij https://t.co/pNPGwSR2er
— RT (@RT_com) January 16, 2019
New post (Two Americans Killed After ISIS Suicide Attack Targets US Patrol in Syria) has been published on open mind news – https://t.co/KVy7G0N1Rw pic.twitter.com/SvzXG78AQY
— Open Mind News (@OpenMindNews) January 16, 2019
#ISIS issuing two claims through its Amaq News Agency, saying 9 US troops killed or injured in suicide bombing of a coalition patrol in #Manbij #Syria, via @siteintelgroup pic.twitter.com/P7bBraS6on
— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) January 16, 2019
BREAKING: @NBCNews‘ @RichardEngel reports American forces are among the casualties after an explosion in Manbij, Syria. A senior Kurdish security official tells NBC the forces were on foot in the center of the city when they were approached by a suicide bomber, claimed by ISIS.
— Willie Geist (@WillieGeist) January 16, 2019
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