Islamic State has been defeated in Syria, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday, hours after four Americans were killed in a bomb attack in northern Syria claimed by the terrorist group.
Pence did not mention the attack in his address to 184 chiefs of U.S. diplomatic missions who gather annually in Washington from around the world to discuss foreign policy strategy.
"As we begin to bring our troops home, the American people can be assured, for the sake of our soldiers, their families, and our nation, we will never allow the remnants of ISIS to reestablish their evil and murderous caliphate," Pence told the U.S. ambassadors and other senior American diplomats, referring to Islamic State.
In separate statements later, both the White House and Pence condemned the attack and expressed sympathy for the deaths of the U.S. personnel.
The Pentagon said two U.S. service members, a Department of Defense civilian employee and one contractor working for the military were killed and three service members were wounded in the blast in the northern Syria town of Manbij. Altogether, 16 people were killed in the explosion.
A witness in Manbij said Wednesday's attack had targeted a restaurant where U.S. personnel were meeting members of the militia backed by Washington. The U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement that the attack happened "while conducting a local engagement in Manbij."
An ISIS statement later said a Syrian fighter had detonated his explosive vest on a foreign patrol in Manbij.
Two witnesses described the blast to Reuters.
"An explosion hit near a restaurant, targeting the Americans, and there were some forces from the Manbij Military Council with them," one said.
U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement on Dec. 19 that he would withdraw 2,000 American troops from Syria after concluding that Islamic State had been defeated there. His decision led to the resignation of U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who cited policy differences with the president for his departure.
Pence said the administration's foreign policy was based on Trump's "America First" agenda. "No longer will the United States government pursue grandiose, unrealistic notions at the expense of American people," he said.
He acknowledged that Trump's foreign policy was "different from what the world has come to expect" and that the United States faced different threats than during the Cold War.
"Today we are not up against one super power but several great powers competing with us for preeminence across the world," he said, saying the United States faced a "wolf pack" of rogue states including Iran, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, often an ally for Trump, said he believed ISIS had been emboldened by the president's decision to pull out of Syria and asked him to "look long and hard" at what he wants to do there.
"My concern about the statements made by President Trump is that you've set in motion enthusiasm by the enemy we're fighting," Graham said during a congressional hearing.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he did not believe the attack would have an impact on the U.S. decision to withdraw from Syria "because I saw honorable Trump's determination on this point."
How, and how quickly, U.S. forces leave has caused ructions in northern Syria, with both Turkey and the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad ready to fill the vacuum.
The U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG militia that is allied to the fighters holding Manbij last month invited Assad into the area around the town to forestall a potential Turkish assault. Syrian army troops entered the area soon after.
The YPG said in a statement that women and children were among civilians killed and offered condolences for the "hero American soldiers" who died.
One of the witnesses said there was a "heavy" presence of military aircraft over Manbij following the blast.
