Three Americans Killed in Syria by Alleged ISIS Gunman, Pentagon Reports
A deadly attack in central Syria on Saturday morning resulted in the loss of two US army soldiers and a US civilian translator, with several other people injured, according to the US Department of Defense.
The assault on US troops in the ancient town of Palmyra represents the first incident to cause fatalities following the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad roughly a year prior.
"The attack occurred as the service members were carrying out a high-level meeting," a Pentagon spokesperson stated. "The operation was in aid of on-going anti-ISIS / counter-terrorism missions in the area."
The attacker responsible for the gunfire was killed by partner forces, according to a declaration from the Secretary of Defense.
Details Withheld For Privacy
Central Command noted that, to respect the privacy for the loved ones and in accordance with standard procedure, the identities of the deceased personnel will be withheld until 24 hours after their families have been informed.
Initial accounts from local news agencies and a conflict observatory said that shots erupted during a visit by US soldiers to the central town of Tadmur.
Varying Reports Emerge
According to a state-run news agency, a pair of Syria's security force and several US personnel were injured in the incident. The injured were allegedly evacuated by aircraft to a garrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan.
A spokesperson for the Syrian government said a gunman linked to Islamic State opened fire at the entrance of a military post. Authorities are looking into whether the individual was a card-carrying member of the organization or merely adhered to its radical beliefs.
This spokesperson also denied a claim from a Britain-based monitoring group that the attacker was a security member.
Ongoing US Presence in the Region
The United States maintains hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as a component of a broader coalition combating the ISIS militant group.
Despite being declared defeated in Syria in 2019, the group's sleeper cells still carry out lethal strikes. United Nations estimates suggest the faction still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
US troops have previously been targeted in the before. Among the most severe previous attacks occurred in that year in the north, when an blast claimed the lives of two US service members and two American civilians, among others.
