A gunman believed to be an Islamic State infiltrator attacked U.S. and Syrian personnel, killing two American soldiers and one civilian serving as an interpreter, multiple sources said. The suspect was reportedly embedded within a local Syrian security force.
The attack occurred during a joint mission in a historic town near Palmyra on Saturday. Two members of the Syrian security force were also wounded. U.S. and Syrian officials have identified the incident as an ISIS operation, with the gunman later killed by security forces.
Syria’s interior ministry stated the suspect had been slated for dismissal from the security force due to extremist Islamist beliefs. Authorities also detained 11 other security personnel for questioning in connection with the attack. U.S. officials described the shooting as an “insider terrorist attack.”
The U.S. maintains a presence of approximately 900 troops in eastern Syria to combat ISIS and limit Iranian influence, primarily stationed in the Kurdish-controlled northeast and at the al-Tanf base near Iraq and Jordan. Palmyra, the site of UNESCO-listed ancient ruins, was previously under ISIS control during the group’s territorial expansion.
No group has claimed responsibility, and the gunman’s identity has not been released. The incident marks the first deadly attack on U.S. forces in Syria since the fall of President Bashar Assad a year ago, amid warming ties between the U.S. and Syria’s interim leadership.