U.S. Central Command confirmed that two members of the Iowa National Guard and an American civilian translator were killed in an ambush attack in Syria by a lone ISIS gunman, with three additional U.S. troops sustaining injuries.
Preliminary information indicates the attacker had previously been a low-level member of the Syrian Security Forces before becoming affiliated with ISIS. An official stated: “He was not part of the official delegation being escorted by U.S. and Syrian troops,” clarifying that the incident would not be classified as a ‘green on blue’ attack.
President Donald Trump warned of “very serious retaliation” following the ambush.
A police chief from Iowa, Jeffrey Bunn, confirmed his son Nate was among the victims. In a Facebook post, Bunn shared: “Today two of our Iowa Army National Guard Soldiers were killed in action along with a Civilian Interpreter in Syria… Our son Nate was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, to keep us all safer.”
The interpreter’s family requested his name be included as Ayad Sakat. U.S. Central Command reported that the ISIS gunman was later killed by partner forces during the operation.
In a press conference on Sunday, Iowa Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn described the attack: “At the time of the attack, US personnel were conducting a key leader engagement. Their mission was in support of ongoing counter-ISIS and counter-terrorism efforts in the region.”
SGT Howard, who had served 11 years with the Iowa National Guard prior to the attack, was remembered as creative and dedicated. In a previous post meant to profile soldiers in his troop, he expressed his goal of “20 years of service and a retirement he’s proud of,” emphasizing that he would always be there for his battle buddies.
