Northern Syria Town Rocked by an Explosion

Sixteen Reportedly Died while Several Injured During the Attack

A restaurant in northern Syria's Manbij town center has been rocked by an explosion killing at least 16 people and injuring many others a Syrian war monitoring group said. The attack killed two U.S. soldiers, one Department of Defense civilian and a contractor, the Pentagon confirmed hours after the explosion. Those reported dead include nine civilians and at least five PKK-linked People's Protection Forces (YPG) terrorists, according to the SOHR. The monitor said the blast was likely set off by a suicide bomber. The U.S.-led coalition said that "U.S. service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria today." Videos released by local activists and news agencies showed a restaurant that suffered extensive damage and a street covered with debris and blood. Several cars were also damaged. Other videos showed helicopters flying over the area reportedly to pick up victims.