Overview
- U.S. Central Command said a lone gunman ambushed the patrol during a key leader engagement in Palmyra, killing two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter and wounding three service members.
- Partner forces killed the attacker, and helicopters evacuated the wounded to the U.S. garrison at al‑Tanf; identities of the fallen are being withheld pending next‑of‑kin notification.
- Initial U.S. assessments point to Islamic State responsibility, though no group has claimed the attack, while Syrian officials said the shooter may have been a security member previously flagged for extremist views.
- President Donald Trump called the killings an ISIS attack and vowed “very serious retaliation,” as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that those who target Americans will be hunted down.
- The Pentagon opened an active investigation, and the incident—the first to cause U.S. fatalities since Syria’s regime change last year—has raised urgent questions about vetting and force protection under the new cooperation framework.