2 US Soldiers, Interpreter Killed on Joint Patrol in Syria
An abandoned, burned-out tank sits in the middle of a desert near the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria, in August. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
An ambush on a joint US–Syrian patrol in the Syrian city of Palmyra killed two American soldiers and a US civilian interpreter on Saturday, according to the Pentagon and Syria’s state news agency. Three additional US soldiers and two Syrian security personnel were wounded in the attack. US Central Command said the attacker was affiliated with the Islamic State group, the Washington Post reported.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X that the attacker was killed by partner forces, though he provided no further details. President Trump said the United States would retaliate.
The names of the victims were not released pending notification of their families. The New York Times reported that these were the first American casualties in Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad last year. The Pentagon said the US personnel were conducting a “key leader engagement” as part of a counterterrorism mission when the ambush occurred.
Syrian media reported that the wounded were evacuated by helicopter to the US base at Al-Tanf, roughly 75 miles south of Palmyra. The ancient city, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its Roman-era ruins, was previously controlled by the Islamic State and remains an area where the group has carried out attacks despite losing its territorial stronghold.
Speaking at the White House, President Trump said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was “devastated by what happened,” emphasizing that Syrian forces were fighting alongside US troops. “This was an ISIS attack against the US and Syria,” Trump said, adding that there would be “very serious retaliation.”
Syria’s interior ministry said allied forces in the area had been warned of an increased threat level. A ministry spokesperson stated on state television that international coalition forces failed to adequately consider Syrian warnings about a possible Islamic State infiltration. The ministry denied reports that the attacker was a member of Syrian security forces.
US troops have operated in Syria since 2015 and remained after the collapse of the Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate in 2019, with the mission of targeting remaining militant cells. Last week, Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said the United States has worked closely with the Syrian government on countering specific ISIS threats.
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