In brief
In an ambush near Palmyra, Syria, two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed by an Islamic State gunman, according to U.S. Central Command (Centcom). Three additional service members were injured in the attack. President Trump and U.S. officials have strongly condemned the assault, with promises of retaliation. The nature of the attack and the involvement of other Syrian forces are currently under investigation as the U.S. maintains its military presence in the region to combat ISIS.
Two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter have been killed in Syria in an ambush by an Islamic State (IS) gunman, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) has said.
Officials said that three other service members were injured in the attack, during which the gunman was engaged and killed. Syria's state news reported that two Syrian personnel were also injured.
U.S. President Donald Trump described the incident as an ISIS attack and indicated a response would be forthcoming. The Syrian government condemned the attack in a statement.
The identities of the deceased are being withheld for 24 hours pending notification of next of kin, Centcom stated.
In posts on X, Centcom characterized the situation as an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman, while Pentagon officials pointed to the likely involvement of the Islamic State group.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights mentioned that the attacker might have been part of the Syrian security forces.
No organization has claimed responsibility for the ambush, and the attacker's identity remains unknown.
The ambush happened in Palmyra while the soldiers were involved in a key leader engagement, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. This incident is currently under investigation.
A Pentagon official noted that the incident occurred in an area outside the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
President Trump has assured that the three injured soldiers are doing well.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that targeting Americans will lead to severe consequences, pledging a ruthless pursuit of those responsible.
Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the victims' families. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, also condemned the act, promoting the commitment of both nations to fight terrorism.
Syria recently joined an international coalition against IS, pledging cooperation with the U.S. despite ongoing tensions.
Since its withdrawal from Syria, the United States has maintained a military presence there to aid in training forces against IS, which reportedly still has a presence of 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
