Two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter were killed in an ambush by an ISIS gunman in Syria, the Pentagon said Saturday.
Three other American service members were also injured.
The attack took place as troops “were conducting a key leader engagement” as part of a counterterrorism operation, said Sean Parnell, a spokesperson for the Defense Department.
According to Sana, a Syrian state-run news agency, two members of the Syrian security forces were also wounded.
U.S. Central Command, which directs military operations in the Middle East, said in a statement that the attack was an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman.
A Pentagon official told MS NOW that the attack was “likely carried out by ISIS” in an area outside of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s control.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the gunman was “killed by partner forces.” He also warned in stark terms to anyone targeting Americans that the U.S. “will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”
The soldiers’ identities will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin are notified, Parnell said.
There were approximately 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria as of last December, according to the Pentagon. The deaths on Saturday mark the first fatalities of U.S. troops in the country since former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted last year. In a post on Truth Social about the attack, President Donald Trump said the three wounded service members “are doing well” and vowed retribution. “This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them,” he wrote. “The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News. Recommended
