A Trio of US Citizens Fatally Wounded in Syria by Alleged ISIS Gunman, Pentagon Reports
A deadly attack in the heart of Syria on Saturday morning led to the loss of a pair of American troops and a US civilian translator, with a number of others wounded, as stated by the Pentagon.
The assault on US troops in the ancient city of Tadmur marks the first event to cause fatalities since the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad approximately a year prior.
"This assault took place while the service members were carrying out a key leader engagement," a Pentagon spokesperson stated. "Their mission was in support of on-going anti-ISIS / counter-terrorism missions in the area."
The assailant behind the shooting was killed by allied troops, as confirmed by a declaration from the Secretary of Defense.
Details Withheld For Privacy
Central Command indicated that, to respect the privacy for the families and in line with policy, the identities of the fallen service members will be withheld until 24 hours after their families have been notified.
Earlier reports from Syrian state media and a conflict observatory said that shots rang out during a visit by US soldiers to the central town of Tadmur.
Varying Reports Surface
According to a government media outlet, two members of local security forces and several US personnel were injured in the incident. The injured were allegedly transported by aircraft to a military base near the border with neighboring countries.
A spokesperson for Syria's interior ministry said a shooter linked to ISIS opened fire at the gate of a military post. Officials are looking into whether the individual was a card-carrying member of the group or simply espoused its extreme ideology.
The official further refuted a claim from a UK-based monitoring group that the gunman was a security member.
Continued American Deployment in the Region
The United States maintains hundreds of troops stationed in Syria's east as a component of a multinational alliance combating the Islamic State.
Despite being militarily routed in Syria in recent years, the group's sleeper cells still carry out lethal strikes. United Nations assessments suggest the group still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both Syria and Iraq.
US troops have been attacked in the before. Among the deadliest prior incidents occurred in 2019 in northern Syria, when an explosion claimed the lives of two US service members and US civilians, among additional casualties.
