Three Americans Killed in Syria by Suspected ISIS Assailant, US Defense Department Reports
A fatal attack in central Syria on Saturday resulted in the deaths of two US army soldiers and a US civilian translator, with a number of others wounded, according to the Pentagon.
This offensive on American forces in the historic city of Tadmur marks the first incident to inflict casualties following the ouster of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad approximately a year prior.
"The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement," an official said. "The operation was in support of ongoing anti-ISIS / anti-terror missions in the region."
The attacker responsible for the gunfire was killed by partner forces, as confirmed by a statement from the US defense secretary.
Specifics Withheld For Privacy
US CENTCOM noted that, as a matter of respect for the loved ones and in accordance with standard procedure, the names of the fallen service members will not be released until a full day after their next of kin have been informed.
Initial accounts from Syrian state media and a war monitor stated that shots rang out during a tour by American troops to the area of Palmyra.
Conflicting Accounts Emerge
According to a state-run news agency, a pair of local security forces and a number of US personnel were injured in the incident. The injured were reportedly evacuated by aircraft to a military base near the border with Iraq and Jordan.
A spokesperson for Syria's interior ministry claimed a gunman affiliated with ISIS opened fire at the entrance of a army position. Officials are looking into whether the assailant was a card-carrying member of the group or simply adhered to its radical beliefs.
The official further refuted a report from a UK-based monitoring group that the gunman was a security member.
Ongoing US Presence in Syria
The United States currently has a military presence deployed in eastern Syria as a component of a multinational alliance combating the Islamic State.
Despite being declared defeated in the country in recent years, the organization's dormant networks continue to execute lethal strikes. UN assessments indicate the faction still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both Syria and Iraq.
US troops have been attacked in the past. One of the deadliest prior incidents took place in 2019 in the north, when an blast claimed the lives of two US service members and two American civilians, among others.
