Monday, December 15, 2025 - Two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday, December 12, in central Syria after a suspected Islamic State (IS) attacker opened fire on a convoy involving American and Syrian forces, the US military has confirmed. The assailant was later shot dead.
The attack comes just weeks after Syria announced a
political cooperation agreement with the US-led coalition fighting Islamic
State, a move that coincided with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to
the White House.
According to Reuters, three local officials said the
attacker was a member of the Syrian security forces. However, a spokesperson
for Syria’s interior ministry, Noureddine el-Baba, said the individual did not
hold a leadership position.
“On December 10, an evaluation was issued indicating that
this attacker might hold extremist ideas, and a decision regarding him was due
to be issued tomorrow, on Sunday,” el-Baba told state broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya.
US President Donald Trump reacted on his Truth Social
platform, vowing “very serious retaliation” and mourning the deaths of “three
great patriots.” He later described the incident to reporters as a “terrible”
attack.
The US military’s Central Command said three additional US
soldiers were wounded. In a statement, it said the shooting occurred while
troops were “conducting a key leader engagement” in the historic town of
Palmyra. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media post that
“partner forces” killed the attacker.
A senior US official said initial assessments suggest
Islamic State was likely responsible, though the group has not claimed the
attack. The official added that the incident happened in an area outside the
control of the Syrian government.
El-Baba said Syrian authorities had warned of a possible IS
attack in the area but claimed “coalition forces did not take the Syrian
warnings … into account.” He added that investigations would determine whether
the attacker had direct links to IS or was simply influenced by its ideology.
The US military said the names of the deceased would be
released after next-of-kin notifications are completed.
Syrian state news agency SANA reported that two Syrian
security personnel were injured and evacuated by US helicopters to a base in
the Al-Tanf region near the Iraqi border.
US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, Tom
Barrack, condemned the attack, saying: “We mourn the loss of three brave US
service members and civilian personnel and wish a speedy recovery to the Syrian
troops wounded in the attack. We remain committed to defeating terrorism with
our Syrian partners.”
The US-led coalition continues to conduct air and ground
operations against Islamic State in Syria, often alongside Syrian forces. The
US also maintains troops in northeastern Syria as part of a long-running
mission to counter the militant group.
0 Comments