A lone ISIS gunman ambushed U.S. soldiers near Palmyra, Syria, killing two American service members and one civilian interpreter while wounding three others.
Official statements from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Pentagon confirm the attack occurred during a joint patrol with Syrian forces. The assailant was neutralized by partner forces after targeting the convoy.
The incident took place in an area not controlled by the Syrian government, just one month after Syria signed a political cooperation agreement with the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State—a deal that coincided with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House.
A Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson, Noureddine el-Baba, stated the attacker was part of the Syrian security forces but held no leadership role. The individual had been flagged for potential extremist ideologies in an evaluation issued on December 10, with a decision pending until Sunday.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described the attack as occurring “as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement” and confirmed partner forces killed the assailant. CENTCOM reported the incident is under active investigation and will withhold service member identities for 24 hours after next of kin notification.
President Trump expressed condolences, stating: “We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter… There will be very serious retaliation.”
The U.S. has deployed reinforcements—including fighter jets and helicopters—to the area as it prepares for a military operation to secure the region.
