American troops killed in Syria bomb attack claimed by Isil

American troops have been killed in a bomb attack in Syria claimed by Isil, just weeks after Donald Trump said the terror group had been defeated and announced he would pull out US forces.

The attack took place in the northern town of Manbij, where US troops were on patrol.

The exact number of Americans killed has yet to be confirmed but a spokesman for the US-led coalition against Isil said that multiple US soldiers had died.

“US service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria today,” the spokesman said. “We are still gathering information and will share additional details at a later time.”

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 16 people were killed including nine civilians and others were wounded in the blast.

The attack throws into focus Mr Trump’s withdrawal from Syria, which he unexpectedly announced before Christmas and caught allies and figures in his own administration off guard.

The move triggered the resignation of two senior Trump administration figures – James Mattis, the defence secretary, and Brett McGurk, the special presidential anti-Isil envoy – and a backlash from Congress.

Mr Trump initially said the withdrawal of America’s 2,000 troops in Syria would take place in 30 days but that morphed into four months. Now the exact timetable of the withdrawal is unclear.

Justifying his decision in December, Mr Trump tweeted: “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.” He has also described Syria as a country of “sand and death”.

The deaths are the first US casualties in the country since Mr Trump’s announcement. Isil claimed responsibility for the attack, which appeared to be a suicide bombing.

The attack may be the most deadly on US forces in Syria since they were deployed on the ground in 2015.

A Pentagon spokesman told Reuters that only two US troops have previously been killed in action in Syria. There have also been two non-combat fatalities.

A video purporting to show the bombing broadcast by CNN showed the moment an explosion went off on a pavement of a busy street. The footage later showed pools of blood on the ground.

Reuters, the news agency, quoted two witnesses who described the blast.

"An explosion hit near a restaurant, targeting the Americans, and there were some forces from the Manbij Military Council with them," one said.

The Manbij Military Council militia has controlled the town since US-backed Kurdish-led forces took it from Isil in 2016. It is located near areas held by Russian-backed Syrian government forces and by anti-Assad fighters backed by Turkey.

One of the witnesses said there was a "heavy" presence of military aircraft over Manbij following the blast, which took place near a vegetable market.

Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said in a brief statement that Mr Trump had been briefed on the attack.

“The President has been fully briefed and we will continue to monitor the ongoing situation in Syria. For any specific questions please contact the Department of Defence,” she said.

She added in a later statement "Our deepest sympathies and love go out to the families of the brave American heroes who were killed today in Syria.

"We also pray for the soldiers who were wounded in the attack.  Our service members and their families have all sacrificed so much for our country."