Islamic State targets US convoy in northeast Syria
American military official says there are no casualties among US-led coalition forces, but Britain-based monitoring group claims 5 were killed
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
BEIRUT — An Islamic State suicide bomber targeted a joint convoy of US and allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria on Monday, the second attack against US troops in less than a week.
US military Col. Sean Ryan said there were no casualties among the US-led coalition members. He added: “We can confirm a combined US and Syrian partner force convoy was involved” in the suicide bomb attack.
“We will continue to review the situation and provide updates as appropriate,” he added.
The Kurdish Hawar news agency, based in northern Syria, said Monday’s blast targeted a Syrian Kurdish checkpoint as a coalition convoy was passing near the town of Shaddadeh. It said two Kurdish fighters were lightly wounded in the blast.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blast killed five people and wounded others.
Monday’s attack came days after a suicide attack killed 16 people, including two US service members and two American civilians, in the northern Syrian town of Manbij. It also came a month after US President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw troops from the war-torn country, declaring that IS had been defeated.
Islamic State claimed both attacks in statements carried by its Aamaq news agency.
The Times of Israel Community.