Two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed, and three other U.S. troops were wounded in an ambush by an Islamic State (IS) gunman in central Syria on Saturday, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). This incident occurred during a visit by U.S. forces near the historic town of Palmyra. In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM confirmed that the Americans were targeted during this visit. The statement noted, “Two U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian were killed, and three service members were injured as a result of an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman in Syria. The gunman was engaged and killed.”
This attack marks the first incident resulting in U.S. casualties in Syria since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad a year ago. CENTCOM reported that the identities of the deceased service members would be withheld for 24 hours, adhering to Department of War policy until their next of kin are notified.
Syrian state media, SANA, indicated that shots were fired at both Syrian and American forces, resulting in several injuries. The injured were evacuated via helicopter to the U.S.-run al-Tanf garrison near the Syria-Iraq-Jordan border. SANA confirmed the attacker was killed but provided no further details.
A U.S. defense official told the Associated Press that while authorities were aware of the incident, they had no immediate information to share. The Syria-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least three Syrian security personnel were also wounded, presenting a different account regarding the attacker’s identity.
The U.S. continues to maintain hundreds of troops in eastern and central Syria as part of an international coalition fighting IS. Although the group was territorially defeated in 2019, estimates from the United Nations suggest that between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters still operate in Syria and Iraq through sleeper cells.
U.S. troops stationed at locations such as al-Tanf have faced threats in the past. Among the deadliest incidents occurred in 2019 in Manbij, when a bombing killed two U.S. service members and two American civilians during a patrol.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/syria-two-us-soldiers-one-civilian-killed-islamic-state-launches-ambush/articleshow/125950594.cms
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Publish Date: 2025-12-13 23:01:00
