Three US Citizens Fatally Wounded in Syria by Suspected Islamic State Gunman, Pentagon Reports
A deadly ambush in the heart of Syria on Saturday morning led to the deaths of two US army soldiers and one American civilian interpreter, with several other people injured, as stated by the US Department of Defense.
This offensive on American forces in the ancient town of Palmyra marks the first event to inflict casualties following the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad roughly a year prior.
"This assault occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement," an official said. "The operation was in aid of ongoing counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism missions in the region."
The assailant behind the gunfire was killed by partner forces, as confirmed by a declaration from the US defense secretary.
Specifics Kept Private Out of Respect
Central Command indicated that, as a matter of respect for the families and in line with standard procedure, the identities of the fallen service members will not be released until 24 hours after their families have been notified.
Initial accounts from local news agencies and a conflict observatory said that gunfire erupted during a visit by US soldiers to the area of Tadmur.
Conflicting Reports Emerge
According to a state-run news agency, two members of local security forces and several US service members were injured in the exchange. Those hurt were allegedly transported by aircraft to a garrison near the frontier with neighboring countries.
A spokesperson for Syria's interior ministry said a gunman linked to Islamic State began shooting at the entrance of a army position. Authorities are looking into whether the assailant was a formal member of the organization or merely espoused its extreme ideology.
The official further refuted a report from a UK-based monitoring group that the gunman was a security member.
Ongoing US Presence in the Region
The US currently has a military presence deployed in Syria's east as part of a multinational alliance fighting the Islamic State.
Even after being militarily routed in the country in recent years, the organization's sleeper cells still execute deadly attacks. UN estimates indicate the faction retains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
US troops have been attacked in the past. One of the deadliest prior incidents took place in 2019 in northern Syria, when an explosion claimed the lives of two US service members and US civilians, among additional casualties.
