Overview
- The shooting occurred during a "key leader engagement" near Palmyra, killing two soldiers and a U.S. interpreter and wounding three others who were flown by helicopter to the al-Tanf garrison.
- U.S. Central Command said partner forces killed the attacker and described the assault as an ambush by a lone Islamic State gunman, with no immediate claim of responsibility.
- Syrian officials offered a conflicting account, saying the shooter was a member of Syrian security forces previously flagged for extremist views.
- The Pentagon is withholding the names of the fallen for 24 hours after next-of-kin notification, and authorities say the case remains under active investigation.
- The attack followed a recent upswing in U.S.–Syrian cooperation against ISIS, as President Trump pledged "very serious retaliation" in response to the killings.