Four Americans are among the dead following a suicide bombing in Northwest Syria. The attack happened outside a restaurant in Manbij during a routine patrol. Two American soldiers and two civilians were killed in the attack. So far, the death toll stands at 16 with at least three additional Americans wounded.
Only two Americans had been killed in Syria since the start of operations in 2015, which means this attack is the deadliest incident to date for U.S. troops .
Manbij is an area that has seen heavy fighting since the start of the war. Originally taken by anti-government rebels in 2012, the city eventually fell to ISIS in 2014. The militants were then uprooted by U.S. backed rebels and the city has been a staging area for coalition forces ever since. The United States has been conducting joint-patrols with Turkey in the area since November, 2018.
The bombing comes just weeks after President Trump announced his intention to withdraw from Syria in the near future. It is estimated that there are close to 2,000 U.S. troops currently in the country.