Casualties as 'suicide bomber targets US coalition' in Syria's Manbij

A bomb has exploded in a packed area of the flash-point city of Manbij in northern Syria, killing a number of civilians in the attack according to media reports.

The blast hit the downtown area of Manbij, close to an US-led coalition patrol where talk of an American withdrawal from the city had led to heightened tensions.

Americans injured in the bombing have been evacuated from the scene by helicopter, with images from the city showing a restaurant devastated by the blast.

American, French and Kurdish military were said to be attending a meeting in the restaurant when the bomb hit.

Turkish news outlet TRT reported that at least four civilians have been killed in the attack, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims was carried out by a suicide bomber.

Al Jazeera said nine civilian deaths, while other reports have stated that at least one American soldier was killed in the blast.

Russian and American military patrols operate in Manbij, and is run by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a militia force that has been fighting the Islamic State group and includes a large Kurdish component.

The city has come under the spotlight following President Donald Trump's announcement that American troops would withdraw from Syria, with Manbij expected to be a target of the Turkish military when the pull-out takes place.

Turkey has been keen to capture areas of northern Syria occupied by Kurdish militias.

— Riam Dalati (@Dalatrm) January 16, 2019" style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post Coalition helicopter landing near #Manbij blast sight amidst increasingly confirmed reports of US casualties involved. pic.twitter.com/tZDjerBznk — Riam Dalati (@Dalatrm) January 16, 2019