Two U.S.-led Coalition personnel were killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Syria on Thursday, and five others wounded.
One of the Coalition members killed was an American service member, the Washington Post later reported, citing a U.S. military official as its source.
The service member’s death marks the first death of an American service member in Syria or Iraq this year.
The Associated Press had initially reported that a Syrian official had said a roadside bomb exploded.
Breaking news this morning: The US military says two coalition personnel were killed at 5 others were wounded by an IED in Syria pic.twitter.com/ny1Am1mo8d
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 30, 2018
Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) is the U.S.-led Coalition fighting ISIS.
Army Col. Ryan Dillon, OIR spokesman, said the names of the deceased would be released “at discretion of national authorities.”
Two @CJTFOIR personnel were killed and five wounded by an improvised explosive device March 29 in Syria. Our prayers are with their families, friends and fellow service members. Names of the deceased will be released at discretion of national authorities. pic.twitter.com/k7nnmdcWMV
— OIR Spokesman (@OIRSpox) March 30, 2018
USA Today reported that the incident took place in Manbij, an Arab-Kurdish town that is near Syria’s northern border with Turkey and is northeast of the town of Aleppo.
No further details about the deceased were available at this time.
There are more than 2,000 U.S. service members in Syria.
President Donald Trump on Thursday had unexpectedly said that the United States would be withdrawing troops from Syria.
“By the way, we’re knocking the hell out of ISIS,” Trump said during a speech in Ohio. “We’re coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now. Very soon — very soon we’re coming out.”
