Two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter have been killed in Syria in an ambush by an Islamic State (IS) gunman, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) has said.
Officials said three other service members were injured in the attack, during which the gunman was engaged and killed. Syria's state news reported that two Syrian service personnel were also injured.
U.S. President Donald Trump called it an ISIS attack against U.S. forces and asserted that there would be a very serious retaliation. The Syrian government condemned the attack as well.
The identities of those killed are being withheld for 24 hours while their next of kin are informed, Centcom stated.
Centcom reported on social media that the incident involved a lone IS gunman ambushing U.S. troops, with no group having claimed responsibility for the attack as of yet.
The ambush took place in Palmyra, located in central Syria, while the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, who noted that the attack is under investigation.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth made a statement emphasizing, If you target Americans - anywhere in the world you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.
In a post on X, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani condemned the attack, extending condolences to the victims' families. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, also condemned the cowardly terrorist ambush targeting a joint U.S.–Syrian government patrol.
Recent events signify the continued risk of IS threats, as the group is reportedly still active in both Syria and Iraq.
