A spokesmen for the U.S. led coalition, Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS in Syria, has confirmed via Twitter that an unknown number of U.S. Service members were killed “during an explosion,” the spokesman adds this occurred while “conducting a routine patrol,” in the Syrian city of Manbij on Wednesday.
CNN reports that according to the “ISIS-affiliated Amaq agency, the attack in the northern city of Manbij was carried out by a suicide bomber with an explosive vest.”
Spokesman for the Manbij Military Council Shervan Derwish, confirmed early reports of the explosion via Twitter:
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group based in the UK, is reporting via CNN, that between eight and fifteen people have been killed in the explosion.
The Washington Post reports that according to residents, the attacked occurred at a restaurant where “American soldiers would sometimes stop to eat during their patrols of the area.”
Both CNN and The Washington Post report that Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the President has been briefed on the attack and is monitoring the situation.
The attack comes just a month after President Trump via Twitter announced the withdrawal of some 2,000 troops stationed in Syria.
Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary Alyssa Farah, tweeted that Vice President Pence had also been briefed on the death of U.S. Service Members.
However, while speaking at the State Department Vice President Pence, made no reference to the deaths, going so far as to say, “The caliphate has crumbled, and ISIS has been defeated.”
Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Lindsey Graham (R-SC), addressed the attack during the confirmation hearing for Attorney General nominee William Barr.
Update.
U.S. Central Command has released a statement confirming that 4 people have been killed as a result of the attack.
According to CENTCOM, two U.S. Service members, one Department of Defense civilian, and one contractor supporting the DoD, were killed, while another three service members were injured.
As is U.S. Policy the names of the service members killed will be withheld “until 24 hours after notification of next of kin is complete.”
