4 Americans Killed In ISIS Suicide Attack Targeting US Forces In Syria

The bombing, claimed by the ISIS, comes after US President Donald Trump's shock announcement last month that he was ordering a full troop withdrawal from Syria because the terrorists had been "largely defeated".

A suicide attack killed four US personnel in northern Syria Wednesday, costing Washington its worst combat losses in the war-torn country since 2014 as it prepares to withdraw.

The bombing, claimed by the ISIS, comes after US President Donald Trump's shock announcement last month that he was ordering a full troop withdrawal from Syria because the terrorists had been "largely defeated".

The Pentagon said "two US servicemembers, one Department of Defense (DoD) civilian and one contractor supporting DoD were killed and three servicemembers were injured while conducting a local engagement in Manbij".

"Initial reports indicate an explosion caused the casualties, and the incident is under investigation," it said, adding that the names of the dead were being withheld until 24 hours after their families were informed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights earlier said two Americans soldiers, nine Syrian civilians, and five US-backed fighters were killed in the attack on a restaurant in the northern city of Manbij near the Turkish border.

Rubble littered the outside of the eatery in the city centre and its facade was blackened by the blast, footage from a Kurdish news agency showed.

According to Pentagon statistics, Wednesday's blast was the deadliest attack for US anti-ISIS forces in Syria since they deployed in 2014.

The US Department of Defense has previously only reported two American personnel killed in combat in Syria, in separate incidents.

The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, said it was the first suicide attack in the city in 10 months.

Courtesy : NDTV