ISIS fighters tied to killing 4 Americans in Syria captured by US-backed fighters, US official says - Fox News

A group of Islamic State fighters who were tied to a January suicide bombing in Syria that killed 4 Americans were captured by U.S.-backed fighters, a defense official confirmed Tuesday to Fox News.

It was not immediately known how many ISIS fighters have been captured in all, the official said, adding that the details are still "vague."

A defense official told Reuters the number people detained was in the "single digits," while another official told the news agency several people were detained in February.

BRITISH ACTOR WHO JOINED ANTI-ISIS FIGHT SAYS HE'S HAVING TROUBLE GAINING RE-ENTRY TO ENGLAND, U.S.

The attack on Jan. 16 killed Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Farmer, Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician Shannon Kent and Scott Wirtz from the Defense Intelligence Agency. It also killed Ghadir Taher, a naturalized U.S. citizen working as a civilian interpreter for a U.S. contractor.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan R. Farmer, 37, of Boynton Beach, was killed in Syria on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019.

Farmer served on six overseas combat tours and has received numerous awards and decorations including the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. He is survived by his spouse, four children and his parents.

Shannon M. Kent, 35, was killed in Syria on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019.

Kent, a cryptologic technician stationed at Fort Meade, was the first female Navy service member killed in the battle against ISIS. The 35-year-old from upstate New York was supposed to get her clinical psychology doctorate, but the Navy decided not to send her to the program because of her history with cancer, sending her instead on her fifth combat deployment.

Scott A. Wirtz was an operations support specialist since February 2017, and served on multiple deployments.

Wirtz, 42, was an operations support specialist since February 2017, and served on multiple deployments. He served in the U.S. Navy and as a Navy SEAL. Military awards and decorations include the SEAL Insignia, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon and Pistol Expert Medal.

The suicide attack hit near the main market in the northern city of Manbij. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the blast, saying one of its members carried out the suicide attack and detonated his vest with explosives. The attack was the deadliest assault on U.S. troops in Syria since American forces went into the country in 2015.

US-BACKED KURDS SAY THEY'RE CLEARING OUT LAST ISIS STRONGHOLD IN SYRIA

Video of the attack released by local activists and news agencies showed a restaurant that suffered extensive damage and a street covered with debris and blood. A security camera showed a busy street, and then a ball of fire engulfing people and others running for cover as the blast went off.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

The attack prompted new complains about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. President Trump had recently announced that ISIS has been defeated and he was pulling about 2,000 American troops in Syria. He later agreed to leave a small U.S. presence behind to keep the pressure on remaining ISIS fighters.

Fox News' Katherine Lam, Kathleen Joyce, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read Again https://www.foxnews.com/world/isis-fighters-tied-to-killing-4-americans-in-syria-captured-by-us-backed-fighters-us-official-says

Bagikan Berita Ini