Four US servicemen, 14 Others Killed in Bomb Attack in Syria’s Northern City of Manbij
Wed Jan 16, 2019 04:44PM
presstv.ir
An image grab taken from a video published by Hawar News Agency (ANHA) on January 16, 2019, shows an unidentified member of security forces at the scene of a bomb attack in the northern Syrian city of Manbij.
An image grab taken from a video published by Hawar News Agency (ANHA) on January 16, 2019, shows an unidentified member of security forces at the scene of a bomb attack in the northern Syrian city of Manbij.
At least four US servicemen and 14 other people have been reported dead after a massive bomb explosion struck near a patrol of the US-led coalition purportedly fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Syria’s flashpoint northern city of Manbij.
Reuters quoted an unnamed US official as saying that three other American troops were also wounded in the Wednesday afternoon blast.
"US service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria today," the military headquarters responsible for operations in Iraq and Syria had earlier said in a statement. "We are still gathering information and will share additional details at a later time."
U.S. service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria today. We are still gathering information and will share additional details at a later time.
The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) identified nine of the fatalities as civilians, adding that the rest were members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).
The Britain-based monitor added that the blast targeted the al-Ummara restaurant in the center of Manbij on Wednesday afternoon.
The Observatory noted that the death toll is expected to rise as some of the wounded victims are in critical condition.
US President Donald Trump "has been fully briefed and we will continue to monitor the ongoing situation in Syria," the White House said in a statement, in an apparent reference to the attack.
A helicopter is reportedly hovering in the sky following the bombing.
Daesh later claimed responsibility for the bomb attack, saying the attacker detonated his explosive-laden vest as US-led coalition forces were passing by.
Manbij has been a major bone of contention between Turkey and the United States.
Ankara has complained over the slow implementation of a deal reached with Washington in June 2018, which would see the YPG ousted from the town and moved back to the eastern bank of the river..
Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organization and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting for an autonomous region inside Turkey since 1984.
Over the past few weeks, the Turkish military has been sending reinforcements to frontline areas with YPG militants in northern Syria.
New Turkish military reinforcements have arrived in the southern province of Hatay on the border with Syria’s northern province of Idlib.
Trump said last month that he was bringing home the American troops deployed in Syria - some 2,000 - alleging they had succeeded in their mission to defeat the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
His abrupt move sparked concern among officials in Washington, prompting Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to step down in protest.
On January 10, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country would launch an offensive against YPG forces, in case the US delayed the planned withdrawal of its troops from Syria.
"If the (pullout) is put off with ridiculous excuses like Turks are massacring Kurds, which do not reflect the reality, we will implement this decision,” Cavusoglu told Turkish-language NTV television news network in an exclusive interview.
The top Turkish diplomat then underlined that the Ankara government would go ahead with its incursion plan.
Turkey’s defense minister pledges to wage a campaign against US-backed Kurdish YPG forces in northern Syria when time is right.
Cavusoglu said Ankara would fight the YPG whether or not US soldiers pulled out of Syria.
The Turkish military, with support from allied militants of the so-called Free Syrian Army, has launched two cross-border operations in northern Syria, dubbed “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch”, against the YPG and Daesh Takfiri terrorists.
presstv.ir
An image grab taken from a video published by Hawar News Agency (ANHA) on January 16, 2019, shows an unidentified member of security forces at the scene of a bomb attack in the northern Syrian city of Manbij.
An image grab taken from a video published by Hawar News Agency (ANHA) on January 16, 2019, shows an unidentified member of security forces at the scene of a bomb attack in the northern Syrian city of Manbij.
At least four US servicemen and 14 other people have been reported dead after a massive bomb explosion struck near a patrol of the US-led coalition purportedly fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Syria’s flashpoint northern city of Manbij.
Reuters quoted an unnamed US official as saying that three other American troops were also wounded in the Wednesday afternoon blast.
"US service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria today," the military headquarters responsible for operations in Iraq and Syria had earlier said in a statement. "We are still gathering information and will share additional details at a later time."
U.S. service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria today. We are still gathering information and will share additional details at a later time.
The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) identified nine of the fatalities as civilians, adding that the rest were members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).
The Britain-based monitor added that the blast targeted the al-Ummara restaurant in the center of Manbij on Wednesday afternoon.
The Observatory noted that the death toll is expected to rise as some of the wounded victims are in critical condition.
US President Donald Trump "has been fully briefed and we will continue to monitor the ongoing situation in Syria," the White House said in a statement, in an apparent reference to the attack.
A helicopter is reportedly hovering in the sky following the bombing.
Daesh later claimed responsibility for the bomb attack, saying the attacker detonated his explosive-laden vest as US-led coalition forces were passing by.
Manbij has been a major bone of contention between Turkey and the United States.
Ankara has complained over the slow implementation of a deal reached with Washington in June 2018, which would see the YPG ousted from the town and moved back to the eastern bank of the river..
Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organization and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting for an autonomous region inside Turkey since 1984.
Over the past few weeks, the Turkish military has been sending reinforcements to frontline areas with YPG militants in northern Syria.
New Turkish military reinforcements have arrived in the southern province of Hatay on the border with Syria’s northern province of Idlib.
Trump said last month that he was bringing home the American troops deployed in Syria - some 2,000 - alleging they had succeeded in their mission to defeat the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
His abrupt move sparked concern among officials in Washington, prompting Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to step down in protest.
On January 10, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country would launch an offensive against YPG forces, in case the US delayed the planned withdrawal of its troops from Syria.
"If the (pullout) is put off with ridiculous excuses like Turks are massacring Kurds, which do not reflect the reality, we will implement this decision,” Cavusoglu told Turkish-language NTV television news network in an exclusive interview.
The top Turkish diplomat then underlined that the Ankara government would go ahead with its incursion plan.
Turkey’s defense minister pledges to wage a campaign against US-backed Kurdish YPG forces in northern Syria when time is right.
Cavusoglu said Ankara would fight the YPG whether or not US soldiers pulled out of Syria.
The Turkish military, with support from allied militants of the so-called Free Syrian Army, has launched two cross-border operations in northern Syria, dubbed “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch”, against the YPG and Daesh Takfiri terrorists.
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