🔗 Share this article

A deadly attack in central Syria on Saturday morning resulted in the loss of a pair of American troops and one American civilian interpreter, with several other people wounded, as stated by the US Department of Defense.

The assault on US troops in the ancient town of Tadmur represents the first event to cause fatalities following the ouster of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad roughly a year prior.

"This assault occurred as the service members were carrying out a key leader engagement," a Pentagon spokesperson said. "The operation was in support of on-going anti-ISIS / counter-terrorism missions in the area."

The assailant responsible for the gunfire was eliminated by partner forces, as confirmed by a declaration from the US defense secretary.

Specifics Withheld Out of Respect

Central Command noted that, to respect the privacy for the loved ones and in accordance with standard procedure, the identities of the deceased personnel will not be released until 24 hours after their families have been informed.

Earlier reports from Syrian state media and a conflict observatory stated that gunfire rang out during a visit by US soldiers to the central town of Palmyra.

Varying Accounts Surface

Per a government media outlet, a pair of Syria's security force and a number of US service members were wounded in the incident. The injured were allegedly evacuated by helicopters to a garrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan.

A spokesperson for the Syrian government claimed a gunman linked to Islamic State began shooting at the gate of a army position. Authorities are looking into whether the individual was a formal member of the group or merely adhered to its extreme ideology.

This spokesperson further refuted a claim from a Britain-based monitoring group that the attacker was a member of the security forces.

Continued US Presence in Syria

The United States currently has hundreds of troops stationed in eastern Syria as a component of a multinational alliance combating the ISIS militant group.

Even after being declared defeated in the country in 2019, the group's sleeper cells continue to carry out lethal strikes. UN estimates suggest the faction retains thousands of fighters in Syria and Iraq.

US troops have previously been attacked in the before. One of the most severe prior incidents occurred in that year in the north, when an explosion killed two US service members and US civilians, among others.