Three US Citizens Killed in Syria by Suspected Islamic State Gunman, US Defense Department Reports
A fatal attack in central Syria on Saturday morning led to the loss of two US army soldiers and a US civilian translator, with several other people wounded, according to the Pentagon.
The assault on US troops in the historic town of Tadmur represents the first incident to inflict casualties since the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad approximately a year prior.
"The attack occurred as the service members were carrying out a key leader engagement," a Pentagon spokesperson said. "The operation was in aid of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region."
The attacker responsible for the shooting was eliminated by allied troops, as confirmed by a declaration from the US defense secretary.
Details Kept Private Out of Respect
US CENTCOM noted that, to respect the privacy for the loved ones and in accordance with policy, the names of the deceased personnel will be withheld until a full day after their families have been informed.
Initial accounts from local news agencies and a war monitor stated that gunfire rang out during a visit by US soldiers to the area of Palmyra.
Conflicting Accounts Emerge
According to a state-run news agency, a pair of Syria's security force and a number of US personnel were wounded in the incident. The injured were reportedly evacuated by helicopters to a garrison near the frontier with Iraq and Jordan.
A spokesperson for Syria's interior ministry claimed a gunman affiliated with ISIS opened fire at the gate of a army position. Officials are looking into whether the individual was a card-carrying member of the group or merely espoused its extreme ideology.
This spokesperson further refuted a report from a UK-based rights group that the gunman was a security member.
Continued US Presence in Syria
The US maintains hundreds of troops deployed in Syria's east as part of a broader coalition combating the Islamic State.
Even after being militarily routed in Syria in recent years, the organization's dormant networks continue to execute deadly attacks. United Nations assessments suggest the group retains thousands of fighters in both Syria and Iraq.
US troops have previously been attacked in the before. One of the most severe previous attacks took place in 2019 in northern Syria, when an blast killed two US service members and US civilians, among additional casualties.
