A Trio of Americans Fatally Wounded in Syrian Territory by Alleged Islamic State Assailant, US Defense Department Says

A deadly attack in the heart of Syria on Saturday resulted in the loss of two US army soldiers and a US civilian translator, with several other people wounded, as stated by the Pentagon.

This offensive on American forces in the historic city of Palmyra represents the initial incident to inflict casualties since the fall of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad roughly a year ago.

"This assault occurred as the service members were carrying out a key leader engagement," a Pentagon spokesperson stated. "The operation was in support of on-going anti-ISIS / counter-terrorism missions in the region."

The attacker behind the gunfire was killed by allied troops, according to a declaration from the Secretary of Defense.

Specifics Withheld For Privacy

US CENTCOM noted that, to respect the privacy for the loved ones and in accordance with policy, the identities of the fallen service members will not be released until a full day after their next of kin have been informed.

Earlier reports from local news agencies and a conflict observatory said that shots rang out during a visit by US soldiers to the area of Tadmur.

Varying Reports Emerge

Per a government news agency, a pair of local security forces and a number of US service members were wounded in the exchange. Those hurt were reportedly evacuated by helicopters to a military base near the frontier with neighboring countries.

An official for Syria's interior ministry said a gunman linked to ISIS began shooting at the gate of a military post. Officials are looking into whether the individual was a formal member of the organization or simply adhered to its radical beliefs.

This spokesperson also refuted a claim from a UK-based monitoring group that the gunman was a member of the security forces.

Ongoing American Deployment in the Region

The US currently has hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a multinational alliance fighting the ISIS militant group.

Even after being militarily routed in the country in 2019, the organization's sleeper cells continue to execute lethal strikes. UN assessments indicate the group retains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both Syria and Iraq.

US troops have been targeted in the before. Among the deadliest previous attacks took place in 2019 in northern Syria, when an blast claimed the lives of American soldiers and two American civilians, among additional casualties.