A Trio of US Citizens Killed in Syrian Territory by Alleged ISIS Gunman, Pentagon Says
A deadly attack in central Syria on Saturday resulted in the deaths of two US army soldiers and one American civilian interpreter, with several other people wounded, according to the US Department of Defense.
The assault on American forces in the ancient city of Tadmur marks the initial incident to inflict casualties since the fall of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad roughly a year prior.
"The attack took place while the service members were conducting a high-level meeting," a Pentagon spokesperson said. "Their mission was in aid of ongoing anti-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region."
The assailant responsible for the gunfire was killed by partner forces, as confirmed by a statement from the Secretary of Defense.
Details Withheld Out of Respect
US CENTCOM indicated that, to respect the privacy for the families and in accordance with policy, the identities of the fallen service members will not be released until a full day after their families have been informed.
Earlier reports from Syrian state media and a conflict observatory stated that gunfire rang out during a tour by American troops to the central town of Palmyra.
Conflicting Reports Emerge
Per a government news agency, a pair of local security forces and a number of US personnel were wounded in the incident. Those hurt were allegedly evacuated by aircraft to a military base near the frontier with Iraq and Jordan.
A spokesperson for the Syrian government said a shooter affiliated with Islamic State opened fire at the entrance of a military post. Officials are investigating whether the assailant was a formal member of the organization or simply adhered to its extreme ideology.
This spokesperson further denied a claim from a UK-based monitoring group that the attacker was a security member.
Ongoing American Deployment in the Region
The US maintains hundreds of troops stationed in Syria's east as part of a broader coalition fighting the ISIS militant group.
Even after being declared defeated in Syria in 2019, the group's sleeper cells still execute deadly attacks. United Nations estimates suggest the group retains thousands of fighters in both Syria and Iraq.
American forces have previously been targeted in the before. Among the most severe previous attacks occurred in that year in northern Syria, when an blast claimed the lives of American soldiers and two American civilians, among additional casualties.
