A Trio of US Citizens Fatally Wounded in Syria by Alleged Islamic State Assailant, US Defense Department Reports
A fatal attack in central Syria on Saturday led to the loss of a pair of American troops and a US civilian translator, with a number of others injured, as stated by the US Department of Defense.
This offensive on US troops in the ancient town of Tadmur marks the first event to inflict casualties following the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad approximately a year ago.
"The attack occurred as the service members were conducting a key leader engagement," a Pentagon spokesperson stated. "The operation was in aid of on-going counter-ISIS / anti-terror missions in the region."
The attacker responsible for the gunfire was eliminated by partner forces, according to a statement from the Secretary of Defense.
Details Kept Private For Privacy
Central Command indicated that, to respect the privacy for the families and in line with standard procedure, the identities of the deceased personnel will not be released until a full day after their families have been informed.
Earlier reports from local news agencies and a conflict observatory said that shots erupted during a visit by US soldiers to the central town of Palmyra.
Varying Reports Surface
Per a government media outlet, a pair of Syria's security force and a number of US personnel were injured in the incident. The injured were reportedly evacuated by helicopters to a garrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan.
A spokesperson for the Syrian government said a shooter affiliated with ISIS opened fire at the entrance of a army position. Officials are investigating whether the assailant was a card-carrying member of the group or merely espoused its radical beliefs.
This spokesperson further refuted a claim from a Britain-based monitoring group that the attacker was a member of the security forces.
Ongoing American Deployment in the Region
The United States currently has a military presence deployed in eastern Syria as part of a broader coalition combating the ISIS militant group.
Even after being militarily routed in the country in recent years, the organization's sleeper cells still carry out lethal strikes. UN estimates suggest the faction retains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both Syria and Iraq.
American forces have previously been attacked in the past. Among the most severe prior incidents took place in 2019 in northern Syria, when an blast killed two US service members and US civilians, among additional casualties.
