US Soldiers Killed in Syria Attack Amid Regional Tensions
Two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria on Saturday when a suspected Islamic State attacker targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead, according to the US military.
The attack occurred barely a month after Syria announced it had signed a political cooperation agreement with the US-led coalition against Islamic State, coinciding with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to the White House.
Attacker Was Syrian Security Force Member
The attacker was identified as a member of the Syrian security forces, three local officials told Reuters. A Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson told state television that the man did not hold a leadership role in the security forces.
"On December 10, an evaluation was issued indicating that this attacker might hold extremist ideas, and a decision regarding him was due to be issued tomorrow, on Sunday," spokesperson Noureddine el-Baba told Syrian television channel Al-Ikhbariya.
US President Donald Trump vowed "very serious retaliation" in a post on his Truth Social platform, mourning the loss of "three great patriots." He described the incident as a "terrible" attack when speaking to reporters.
Three US Soldiers Wounded in Palmyra Attack
Three additional US soldiers were wounded in the attack, the US military's Central Command confirmed. The attack by a lone gunman occurred "as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement" in the central Syrian town of Palmyra.
"Partner forces" killed the attacker, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote in a social media post.
A senior US official said initial assessments indicated that Islamic State probably carried out the attack, although the militant group did not immediately claim responsibility. The attack took place in an area not controlled by the Syrian government.
Syria Had Warned of Potential Attack
El-Baba said Syria had warned about the possibility of an Islamic State attack in that region but that "coalition forces did not take the Syrian warnings into account." He added that Syria would determine whether the attacker was linked to IS or merely subscribed to the group's ideology.
The soldiers' names will be withheld until 24 hours after next-of-kin notification, the US military said.
Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a security source saying two Syrian service personnel were injured. American helicopters evacuated the injured to a US base in Syria's Al-Tanf region near the Iraqi border.
US Envoy Condemns Attack
Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, condemned the attack.
"We mourn the loss of three brave US service members and civilian personnel and wish a speedy recovery to the Syrian troops wounded in the attack," Barrack said. "We remain committed to defeating terrorism with our Syrian partners."
The US-led coalition has carried out air strikes and ground operations in Syria targeting Islamic State suspects in recent months, often with Syrian security forces involvement. Syria last month conducted a nationwide campaign arresting more than 70 people accused of links to the group.
The United States maintains troops in northeastern Syria as part of a decade-long effort to support a Kurdish-led force in the region.