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The US government has defeated IS, but the situation in Syria is not stable. An attack on Manbijk has killed several people, including US soldiers.
In northern Syria, several people were killed in a suicide attack. Among the victims there were American soldiers. They were apparently killed during a patrol in the city of Manbij. The videos published by local activists and press agencies showed a restaurant with considerable damage and a street covered with rubble. Several cars have been damaged.
The US-led international coalition wrote on Twitter that members of the US military were killed in an explosion. A number has not been mentioned. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 18 people died, four of whom were declared US soldiers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke of 20 victims, including five US soldiers. The terrorist militia "Islamic State" has claimed the act through its spokesperson Amak.
Strategically important city
The US military sent helicopters to Manbijk to take the soldiers out. The city near the Turkish border is strategically important for the army. This area is crossed by areas under Russian, Turkish and Kurdish influence.
Manbijk himself was controlled by the Kurds for two years. They had previously evicted the IS fighters from the city with the help of the American army. In addition to US soldiers, the French special forces are stationed in the city to the west of the Euphrates. In Manbij, the situation was largely calm.
Pence: "IS is defeated"
The incident today could reignite the debate on the withdrawal of US President Donald Trump of about 2,000 American soldiers from Syria. Trump had announced the withdrawal in December and then declared that the IS had been defeated. Observers consider the terrorist militia in Syria to be greatly weakened, but not beaten.
Despite the attack, Trump's vice president, Mike Pence, said in a speech that the IS caliphate "collapsed" and "defeated" the terrorist militia. Thanks to Trump's leadership, I'm now able to take US soldiers home. Pence did not respond to the same attack when he addressed the Foreign Ministry.
With information from Torsten Teichmann, ARD Studio Washington
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