DAMASCUS, SYRIA – President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the United States would respond strongly after an attack in Syria killed two U.S. service members and one American civilian. The attack, which the U.S. attributes to the Islamic State group, occurred in a volatile area of central Syria not fully under government control.
Speaking from the White House, Trump said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was “devastated” and “extremely angry and disturbed” by the attack, emphasizing that Syrian forces were fighting alongside U.S. troops. U.S. Central Command reported that three additional service members were wounded during the ambush, carried out by a lone IS gunman, who was subsequently killed by U.S. forces. The wounded personnel were described by Trump as “doing pretty well.”
The Pentagon confirmed the civilian killed was a U.S. interpreter supporting counter-terrorism operations. The attack took place near Palmyra, with casualties evacuated by helicopter to the al-Tanf garrison near the Iraq and Jordan borders. Syrian and British monitors reported conflicting details about the attacker’s identity, with some claiming he was affiliated with Syrian security forces and others linking him directly to IS. Syrian authorities are investigating whether the gunman acted independently or under IS influence.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X that any attack on Americans would be met with relentless U.S. retaliation, stating the nation would “hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.” Hundreds of U.S. troops remain deployed across eastern Syria as part of the coalition fighting IS.
Syria’s relationship with the U.S. has warmed since the fall of Bashar Assad in late 2024. Al-Sharaa, now interim leader, visited Washington last month, marking the first Syrian head-of-state visit since independence in 1946. Under his leadership, Syria joined the international coalition against IS, even as the group continues to operate sleeper cells in the region. The United Nations estimates IS retains 5,000–7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
This attack represents the first lethal strike on U.S. forces in Syria since the fall of Assad. Past attacks, including a 2019 bombing in Manbij, also targeted U.S. troops and American civilians, underscoring the ongoing threat from residual IS activity despite the group’s battlefield defeat years ago.