US-led coalition hits mosque used by IS in Syria

The US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Syria destroyed a command centre in a mosque in the war-torn country on Thursday, officials said.

The strike is another indication that IS has not been "beaten" in Syria, as US President Donald Trump claimed last month when he ordered the withdrawal of US forces from the country.

Coalition aircraft "destroyed an ISIS command and control facility in a mosque in Safafiyah," a coalition statement read, using an alternate acronym for IS.

"ISIS continues to violate Law of Armed Conflict and misuse protected structures like hospitals and mosques, which cause a facility to lose its protected status," the statement added.

IS holdouts in Syria are mainly in the eastern province of Deir az-Zour.

Four Americans, including two US soldiers, were killed on Wednesday in a suicide blast claimed by IS in the northern city of Manbij.

It was the deadliest attack against US forces since they first deployed to Syria four years ago.

The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, said it was the first suicide attack in the city in 10 months.

US military experts have pleaded with Trump not to pull American troops from Syria, due to the continued threat posed by IS.