Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter working with American forces were killed Saturday during an ambush in central Syria that U.S. officials believe was carried out by an Islamic State gunman, marking the first U.S. combat deaths since President Donald Trump returned to office.
The attack occurred near Palmyra as U.S. troops were conducting what the Pentagon described as a key leader engagement in support of ongoing counterterrorism operations against ISIS. According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the assailant was killed during a brief skirmish by partner forces operating alongside the United States. Three additional U.S. service members were wounded in the attack and evacuated for medical treatment. U.S. officials confirmed the injured personnel were Americans.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the mission was part of broader efforts to disrupt and dismantle remaining ISIS networks in the region, where the group, though territorially defeated, continues to operate through insurgent-style attacks. The area around Palmyra has long been considered volatile, with limited central government control and persistent militant activity.
President Trump addressed the incident publicly on Saturday, offering condolences to the families of those killed and vowing retaliation. In a post on social media, Trump characterized the ambush as an ISIS attack targeting both U.S. and Syrian interests in a particularly dangerous area of the country. He also referenced the reaction of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying the Syrian leader was “extremely angry and disturbed” by the attack and that there would be serious consequences.
Speaking briefly to reporters later in the day, Trump reiterated his stance, emphasizing that the United States would respond. “We will retaliate,” he said before leaving the press area.
The identities of the fallen soldiers and the civilian interpreter have not yet been released, as next-of-kin notifications are still underway. The deaths are the first U.S. combat fatalities in Syria since 2019, when four Americans were killed in a suicide bombing in Manbij.
Since the U.S. military intervention in Syria began, there have been a total of 13 American military deaths in the country, including both hostile and non-hostile incidents. Prior to Saturday’s ambush, the most recent U.S. military death in Syria occurred in February 2022 and was classified as non-hostile.
The attack underscores the enduring risks faced by U.S. forces deployed in Syria, even as ISIS no longer controls large swaths of territory. American troops remain in the country primarily to support local partner forces, prevent the resurgence of extremist groups, and maintain pressure on ISIS cells that continue to stage deadly attacks in remote and contested areas.
