Three other American soldiers were injured in the shooting, which took place in a volatile area near Palmyra.
Three Americans, including two US service members and a civilian, were killed in an attack in central Syria on Saturday. The United States has blamed the Islamic State (IS) group for the assault. Three other American soldiers were injured in the shooting, which took place in a volatile area near the historic city of Palmyra.
US Central Command said the attack was carried out by a lone IS gunman, who was later killed.
Trump warns of strong response
President Donald Trump said there would be “very serious retaliation” for the attack. In a social media post, he described the incident as an IS attack in a dangerous part of Syria that is not fully under government control.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was deeply affected by the incident. He said Syria was fighting alongside US forces and that al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed” by the attack.
Republican Senator Joni Ernst said the two soldiers killed were members of the Iowa National Guard. She said the loss had deeply affected the Guard’s close-knit community. “Our Iowa National Guard family is hurting,” she said, while praying for the recovery of the wounded.
The Pentagon confirmed that the civilian killed was a US interpreter working with American forces. Trump said the injured soldiers were doing well.
What we know about the shooting?
According to Syrian officials, the gunman opened fire at the gate of a military post. The wounded were airlifted by helicopter to the al-Tanf garrison near the borders with Iraq and Jordan. Syrian security personnel were also injured in the attack.
The Interior Ministry said the attacker was linked to IS ideology. Later, officials revealed he was a member of Syria’s Internal Security forces in the desert region but did not hold any command position. An earlier evaluation had raised concerns about his extremist views, though no action had yet been taken.
US and Syria relations
US officials did not confirm claims that the attacker was part of Syrian forces. A Pentagon official said the attack happened in an area not controlled by Syria’s president.
The attack was the first to kill US personnel in Syria since the fall of Bashar Assad a year ago. Since then, relations between Washington and Damascus have improved. President al-Sharaa visited the White House last month after the US lifted long-standing sanctions.