Two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday, December 12, in central Syria after a suspected Islamic State (IS) attacker opened fire on a convoy involving American and Syrian forces, the US military has confirmed. The assailant was later shot dead.
The attack comes just weeks after Syria announced a political cooperation agreement with the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State, a move that coincided with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House.
According to Reuters, three local officials said the attacker was a member of the Syrian security forces. However, a spokesperson for Syria’s interior ministry, Noureddine el-Baba, said the individual did not hold a leadership position.
“On December 10, an evaluation was issued indicating that this attacker might hold extremist ideas, and a decision regarding him was due to be issued tomorrow, on Sunday,” el-Baba told state broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya.
US President Donald Trump reacted on his Truth Social platform, vowing “very serious retaliation” and mourning the deaths of “three great patriots.” He later described the incident to reporters as a “terrible” attack.
The US military’s Central Command said three additional US soldiers were wounded. In a statement, it said the shooting occurred while troops were “conducting a key leader engagement” in the historic town of Palmyra. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media post that “partner forces” killed the attacker.
A senior US official said initial assessments suggest Islamic State was likely responsible, though the group has not claimed the attack. The official added that the incident happened in an area outside the control of the Syrian government.
El-Baba said Syrian authorities had warned of a possible IS attack in the area but claimed “coalition forces did not take the Syrian warnings … into account.” He added that investigations would determine whether the attacker had direct links to IS or was simply influenced by its ideology.
The US military said the names of the deceased would be released after next-of-kin notifications are completed.
Syrian state news agency SANA reported that two Syrian security personnel were injured and evacuated by US helicopters to a base in the Al-Tanf region near the Iraqi border.
US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, condemned the attack, saying: “We mourn the loss of three brave US service members and civilian personnel and wish a speedy recovery to the Syrian troops wounded in the attack. We remain committed to defeating terrorism with our Syrian partners.”
The US-led coalition continues to conduct air and ground operations against Islamic State in Syria, often alongside Syrian forces. The US also maintains troops in northeastern Syria as part of a long-running mission to counter the militant group.
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