ISIS Kills 2 US Soldiers, Interpreter in Syria

Two US soldiers have been killed in an ambush by an Islamic State gunman at a military base in Syria.

The two were with other US troops at the base in Palmyra on Saturday when the gunman struck, also killing a civilian interpreter, the Pentagon said.

Three other people, including two members of the Syrian security forces, were wounded in the attack, according to Sana, a state news agency.

Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, said the gunman was killed by Syrian forces and issued a warning to anyone who targets American soldiers.

“Let it be known, if you target Americans – anywhere in the world – you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you and ruthlessly kill you,” he said.

Donald Trump also vowed “very serious retaliation” and said that the three injured people were “doing well”.

US Central Command said in a post on X that out of respect for the families, and in accordance with department of defence policy, the identities of the service members will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.

The attack on American troops is the first of its kind since Islamist-led forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s former dictator, in December last year.

It comes at an awkward time for Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country’s new president, as he looks to rekindle ties with the US after years of hostilities.

Mr Trump said on Saturday: “We mourn the loss of three great American patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one civilian interpreter. Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well.

“This was an ISIS attack against the US, and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them.

“The president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation.”

Troops on counter-terror mission

Sana reported that when the gunman struck, a delegation of US and Syrian officers was taking part in a “joint field tour” in the city, which was previously under the control of Islamic State (IS).

The engagement was part of the US’s ongoing mission to support counter-terrorism operations in the region, according to Sean Parnell, the Pentagon chief spokesman.

He added that the Pentagon had launched an investigation into the killing.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, which has a wide network of sources inside Syria, the mission was part of an “American strategy to strengthen its presence and foothold in the Syrian desert”.

The wounded troops were reportedly evacuated by helicopter to the Al-Tanf military base near the border with Iraq and Jordan, where American troops are garrisoned.

A year ago, Syria was a pariah state under Assad’s rule, but the rise of Mr Sharaa’s Islamist rebels to power has led to a cautious rapprochement.

A former jihadist who styled himself on Osama Bin Laden, Mr Sharaa was listed as a “specially designated global terrorist” until last month, when he was welcomed by Mr Trump at the White House in an extraordinary meeting.

The pair, who had previously met in May in Saudi Arabia, appeared to have a warm relationship, with Mr Trump praising the Syrian leader for being a “tough guy”, spraying him with perfume and joking about how many wives he has.

During the meeting, Damascus formally joined a US-led global coalition against IS.

IS was defeated in Syria in 2019 but the group’s sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in the country. The United Nations says the group still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.

US troops, which have maintained a presence in different parts of Syria – including Al-Tanf in the central province of Homs – to train other forces as part of a broad campaign against IS, have been targeted in the past.

One of the deadliest attacks occurred in 2019 in the northern town of Manbij when a blast killed two US service members and two American civilians, as well as others from Syria, while conducting a patrol.