Syrian soldiers stand next to a deployed infantry-fighting vehicle at a government forces' position in the village of Hawshariya, northeast of the northern town of Manbij, on January 12, 2019. / AFP / George OURFALIAN
Islamic State claimed responsibility for a blast in a Syrian town that’s reportedly injured several people, including American soldiers.
A suicide bomber wearing an explosive-laden vest attacked international forces patrolling in Manbij, according to the militant group’s self-styled Amaq news agency, which was used by the jihadist group to claim previous attacks in major European cities. The wounded were evacuated in U.S. military helicopters, Turkey’s state news agency Anadolu said.
U.S. support for Kurdish YPG fighters in Manbij has been at the heart of a dispute between the NATO allies that has regularly flared in recent months. The U.S. and Turkey agreed on a road map last year to have the fighters withdraw from the area, but while the Americans say no timeline was attached to the plan, Ankara wants the Kurds out fast because of their links to a militant Kurdish separatist group Turkey has been battling for decades.
President Donald Trump announced his decision to pull troops out of Syria last month, saying that Islamic State -- the only reason why American soldiers were in the country -- had been largely defeated.
