In a devastating attack in central Syria on Saturday, two American military personnel and a local interpreter were killed by a lone ISIS gunman. The ambush occurred during a joint US-Syrian patrol operation near the historic city of Palmyra, marking the first such incident since the recent political upheaval in Syria.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the fatalities through an official statement on social media platform X, revealing that three additional troops sustained injuries during the engagement. According to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, the soldiers were participating in ‘key leader engagement’ activities supporting counter-terrorism initiatives when the attack unfolded.
The assailant, identified as an alleged Islamic State operative, was subsequently ‘engaged and killed’ by partner forces according to CENTCOM. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth characterized the perpetrator as ‘the savage who perpetrated this attack’ in his own social media response.
The complex operational environment was highlighted by a Pentagon official speaking anonymously, who noted the attack occurred in ‘an area where the Syrian President does not have control.’ Syrian state media SANA initially reported multiple casualties among both US and Syrian service members, citing security sources who described the operation as a ‘joint field tour’ in territory formerly controlled by Islamic State militants.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the meeting represented part of broader American efforts to ‘strengthen its presence and foothold in the Syrian desert.’ Anonymous military sources indicated the shooting occurred during direct negotiations between Syrian and American officers at a Syrian base in Palmyra, with witnesses reporting gunfire originating from within the military installation.
Medical evacuation helicopters promptly transported the wounded to the US-operated Al-Tanf base in southern Syria. The timing is particularly significant following last month’s diplomatic milestone that saw Damascus formally join the US-led global coalition against ISIS during President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington.
US forces maintain strategic deployments across northeastern Kurdish-controlled regions and at the Al-Tanf garrison near the Jordanian border, continuing their counter-terrorism mission despite the evolving security landscape.