Two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed, and three soldiers injured, in an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman in Syria on Saturday. The attack occurred during counter-terrorism operations in the central town of Palmyra, where US forces are assisting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces against the Islamic State. The assailant was engaged and killed by security forces, authorities confirmed.
US President Donald Trump expressed grief over the attack, saying, “We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers and one civilian interpreter… There will be very serious retaliation.” The Pentagon said the soldiers were on a key leader engagement mission, and helicopters evacuated the injured to the US base in Al-Tanf near Iraq’s border.
The attack is the first of its kind since Islamist forces overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last December. The US maintains around 1,500 troops in Syria, primarily to counter ISIS, which has continued recruiting fighters globally using AI tools and social media.
US and allied forces remain focused on preventing the terror group from regaining a foothold in the region.