Two U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian were killed on Saturday in an ambush in central Syria carried out by a lone Islamic State gunman, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) said in a statement released on December 14.
Three other service members were wounded in the attack near Palmyra, a region long contested by IS remnants seeking to undermine security efforts.
The gunman was engaged and killed on the scene. As a matter of respect for next of kin and Department of War policy, the identities of the fallen will be withheld until 24 hours after notification, USCENTCOM said.
President Donald Trump, writing on his Truth Social platform, vowed "very serious retaliation."
Syria’s state-run SANA agency earlier reported that a joint patrol of Syrian security forces and U.S. troops came under fire near Palmyra, injuring two Syrian personnel along with several U.S. troops before the attacker was killed.
This marks the first attack on U.S. forces in Syria with fatalities since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad a year ago, highlighting ongoing risks for troops supporting local partners in the region.
Analysts say the incident could prompt a strategic review of force protection measures in central Syria, where U.S. troops remain engaged in counter-IS operations and training missions for allied forces.
As global attention turns to this escalation, the incident underscores the fluid and dangerous environment in which U.S. personnel operate in Syria.
Reference(s):
2 U.S. service members, 1 U.S. civilian killed in IS attack in Syria
cgtn.com
