WASHINGTON – Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the U.S. military confirmed several U.S. service members were killed during an explosion while on patrol in Syria today.

“My deepest sympathies go the families of the U.S. Service members killed in a brutal suicide bombing in Manbij. The fight against ISIS is clearly not over, and as we await more details on the circumstances of this tragic attack, our grateful nation mourns alongside those who have lost their loved ones.

“Today’s bombing, which took place in a Syrian city patrolled by U.S.-backed forces, is a stark reminder that the Trump Administration needs a clearly developed and articulated strategy to secure the gains we have made in the fight against terror that includes those on the frontlines of this ongoing fight as well as our diplomatic and development corps. The United States must do more to work with our allies to develop a comprehensive approach that secures our long-term interests in the region.”

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