Three U.S. military personnel have been confirmed dead following a suspected Islamic State attack in Syria on Saturday, according to official U.S. military statements. The fatalities include two Army soldiers and one civilian interpreter.

Attack details

The deadly assault occurred in the central Syrian town of Palmyra when a lone gunman targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces. U.S. Central Command confirmed that the attack took place as soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement in the area.

In addition to the three confirmed deaths, three other U.S. soldiers were wounded in the incident. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that two Syrian service personnel were also injured in the attack.

Response and attribution

Partner forces killed the attacker at the scene, according to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. While the Islamic State has not immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, a senior U.S. official stated that initial assessments indicate the militant group was likely responsible.

The attack occurred in an area not controlled by the Syrian government. American helicopters evacuated the injured to a U.S. base in Syria’s Al-Tanf region near the Iraqi border.

Official statements

The names of the fallen soldiers will be withheld until 24 hours after next-of-kin notification, per U.S. military protocol.

Tom Barrack, U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, condemned the attack in an official statement: “We mourn the loss of three brave U.S. service members and civilian personnel and wish a speedy recovery to the Syrian troops wounded in the attack. We remain committed to defeating terrorism with our Syrian partners.”

Context and ongoing operations

The attack came barely a month after Syria signed a political cooperation agreement with the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, which coincided with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House.

The coalition has conducted air strikes and ground operations targeting Islamic State suspects in Syria in recent months, frequently involving Syria’s security forces. Syria launched a nationwide campaign last month that resulted in the arrest of more than 70 people accused of links to the group.

The United States maintains troops in northeastern Syria as part of a decade-long mission to support a Kurdish-led force in the region.