At Least Three U.S. Troops Killed in ISIS-Claimed Attack in Syria
At Least Three U.S. Troops Killed in ISIS-Claimed Attack in Syria by Raja Abdulrahim – Wall Street Journal
Islamic State claimed responsibility for a bomb blast Wednesday in a Syrian city under U.S.-backed Kurdish control that killed at least three American troops, according to U.S. officials, underscoring the threat the extremist group still poses as the Trump administration prepares to withdraw troops from the country.
Local media and the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that allied fighters with the Syrian Democratic Forces and a number of civilians were also among the dead and injured in the attack in the northeastern city of Manbij.
The White House said President Trump was monitoring the situation.
“The President has been fully briefed and we will continue to monitor the ongoing situation in Syria,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said, referring further questions to the Pentagon.
A U.S.-led coalition spokesman, Col. Sean Ryan, said that its forces had been conducting a routine patrol in the city.
Islamic State released two brief statements through Amaq, its media arm, claiming that the attack by a suicide bomber targeted a coalition patrol, killing or injuring nine U.S. soldiers, according to SITE Intelligence…