Three Americans Killed in Syria by Alleged Islamic State Gunman, US Defense Department Reports
A fatal attack in central Syria on Saturday morning resulted in the deaths of a pair of American troops and one American civilian interpreter, with several other people injured, as stated by the Pentagon.
This offensive on American forces in the ancient city of Palmyra marks the initial incident to cause fatalities following the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad roughly a year ago.
"This assault took place while the service members were carrying out a high-level meeting," a Pentagon spokesperson said. "Their mission was in aid of on-going anti-ISIS / anti-terror missions in the region."
The assailant behind the gunfire was killed by allied troops, according to a statement from the US defense secretary.
Details Withheld Out of Respect
US CENTCOM noted that, as a matter of respect for the families and in line with standard procedure, the identities of the deceased personnel will not be released until 24 hours after their families have been notified.
Initial accounts from local news agencies and a war monitor said that shots erupted during a tour by US soldiers to the central town of Palmyra.
Varying Reports Emerge
According to a state-run news agency, a pair of Syria's security force and a number of US personnel were injured in the exchange. The injured were reportedly evacuated by aircraft to a garrison near the frontier with neighboring countries.
A spokesperson for Syria's interior ministry said a shooter affiliated with Islamic State began shooting at the gate of a army position. Officials are investigating whether the individual was a formal member of the group or merely adhered to its extreme ideology.
The official also denied a claim from a UK-based monitoring group that the gunman was a member of the security forces.
Ongoing US Presence in the Region
The United States maintains hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as a component of a multinational alliance combating the ISIS militant group.
Even after being declared defeated in Syria in 2019, the organization's dormant networks continue to carry out lethal strikes. United Nations assessments suggest the group still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
American forces have been targeted in the before. Among the most severe prior incidents occurred in 2019 in northern Syria, when an blast killed two US service members and US civilians, among additional casualties.
