An ISIS-affiliated gunman opened fire on American and Syrian troops during a joint field patrol near Palmyra, Syria, on Saturday, killing two U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter and wounding three others.
At least three Syrian security members were shot, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The group said the gunman was a member of the Syrian security force. The suspected attacker was killed.
The wounded were flown by helicopters to the al-Tanf garrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the incident in a post on X.
“Today in Palmyra, Syria, two United States Army soldiers and one civilian U.S. interpreter were killed, and three were wounded. The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement,” he said. “Their mission was in support of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region. The soldiers’ names, as well as identifying information about their units, are being withheld until 24 hours after the next of kin notification. This attack is currently under active investigation.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responded to Parnell’s post with a stark warning to any “savage” who targets Americans “anywhere in the world.”
“The savage who perpetrated this attack was killed by partner forces,” he said. “Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”
The U.S. Central Command confirmed on X that the “ambush [was perpetrated] by a lone ISIS gunman in Syria.” CENTCOM said it would provide further updates as information becomes available.
An American delegation was touring Palmyra at the time of the attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The delegation fled in a vehicle toward the Al-Tanf base as the area remained in a state of high security alert.
After the announcement, a Pentagon official told the Washington Examiner that the attack occurred in an area not under the Syrian government’s control and that initial assessments show ISIS was likely involved in the attack.
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The U.S. military has a presence in eastern Syria, where they’re joined by the Syrian Armed Forces in fighting the Islamic State.
Syria joined the international coalition opposed to ISIS last month, but a Syrian official said the nation is not directly involved in the U.S.-led military mission against the extremist group. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited President Donald Trump last month to strengthen Syria’s ties with the U.S.
