Two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria on Saturday by an attacker who targeted a convoy of U.S. and Syrian troops before being shot dead.
The attack came just a month after Syria announced it had signed a political cooperation agreement with the US-led coalition against Islamic State, coinciding with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House.
The attacker was a member of the Syrian security forces, three local officials told Reuters news agency. A spokesman for the Syrian Interior Ministry told a state television channel that the man did not have a leadership role within the security forces.
“On December 10, an assessment was released showing that this attacker may have harbored extremist ideas, and a decision on him would be made tomorrow, on Sunday,” the spokesman, Noureddine el-Baba, told Syrian television channel Al-Ikhbariya.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, US President Donald Trump vowed “very serious retaliation,” mourning the loss of “three great patriots.” He described the incident in remarks to reporters as a “terrible” attack.
Three U.S. soldiers were also injured in the attack, the U.S. Army Central Command said.
In a statement, the central command said the attack by a lone gunman took place “while soldiers were conducting an important leadership battle” in the central Syrian city of Palmyra. “Partner forces” killed the attacker, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a social media post.
A senior US official said initial assessments indicated Islamic State likely carried out the attack, although the militant group did not immediately claim responsibility.
It took place in an area not under the control of the Syrian government, the official said.
The US-led coalition has carried out airstrikes and ground operations in Syria in recent months targeting Islamic State suspects, often with the involvement of Syrian security forces. Syria also conducted a nationwide campaign last month, arresting more than 70 people accused of links to the group.
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