Three American military personnel, including two army soldiers and a civilian interpreter, lost their lives on Saturday in an attack on a convoy of U.S. and Syrian forces. The assailant, who was shot dead, targeted the convoy in central Syria’s Palmyra. This incident occurred shortly after Syria announced a political co-operation agreement with the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS following a visit by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House.
According to Syrian officials, the attacker was a member of the Syrian security forces, but he did not hold a leadership position. Syrian interior ministry spokesperson Noureddine el-Baba mentioned that the attacker had shown signs of extremist leanings and was under evaluation for his actions.
In response to the attack, former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his condolences for the loss of the three personnel and promised significant retaliation. Three other American soldiers sustained injuries during the incident, with Central Command confirming that the lone gunman was neutralized by partner forces during a key leader engagement.
The names of the deceased soldiers will be withheld until after the next-of-kin notification period. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that two Syrian service members were injured in the attack and were evacuated by American helicopters to a U.S. base in the Al-Tanf region near the Iraqi border.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, condemned the attack and extended well wishes to the injured Syrian troops. He reiterated the commitment to combating terrorism alongside Syrian partners.
Initial assessments by U.S. officials suggest that ISIS militants likely carried out the attack, as it occurred in an area outside Syrian government control. Syrian authorities had previously warned of potential ISIS threats in the region, raising questions about the coalition forces’ response to these alerts.
The U.S.-led coalition has been actively targeting ISIS suspects in Syria through airstrikes and ground operations, often in collaboration with Syrian security forces. Recent Syrian efforts have led to the arrest of over 70 individuals with alleged ties to ISIS. The U.S. maintains a military presence in northeastern Syria to support a Kurdish-led force as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
