Two American soldiers and an American civilian interpreter were killed this Saturday (13/12) in Palmyra, Syria, in an alleged ambush carried out by an Islamic State sniper, who acted alone. The attack also left three other soldiers injured, according to US Central Command.
According to the US government, the attack occurred while soldiers were holding a meeting. The army’s mission was to support ongoing operations to combat the Islamic State and terrorism in the region.
Information from local authorities indicates that the shooter was a member of the Syrian security forces and would be expelled from his post this Sunday (14/12).
A spokesperson for the Syrian Interior Ministry, however, said the attacker did not hold any leadership position. In an interview with a local news channel, he said an investigation was underway to determine the shooter’s connection to Islamic State.
According to US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the gunman was killed by “partner forces”.
“Let me be clear: If you attack Americans – anywhere in the world – you will spend the rest of your brief, painful life knowing that the United States will hunt you down, find you and kill you without mercy,” Hegseth said.
Trump promises retaliation
United States President Donald Trump issued a statement regretting the deaths and said there would be “very serious” retaliation.
“We mourn the loss of three great American patriots in Syria: two soldiers and a civilian interpreter. Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, as we have just confirmed, are OK. This was an attack by the Islamic State against the United States and Syria, in a very dangerous region of Syria, which is not entirely under its control,” he said.
“Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation,” Trump added in a message on Truth Social.
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