Three Americans were killed and three others seriously wounded after an Islamic State attacker opened fire on a joint U.S.–Syrian patrol near the historic city of Palmyra in central Syria, U.S. and Syrian officials confirmed Saturday. The incident marks the deadliest assault on American personnel in Syria in several years and underscores the persistent threat posed by ISIS despite its territorial defeat.
According to U.S. military officials, the attack occurred on December 13 while American forces were accompanying Syrian partners during a security engagement tied to ongoing counterterrorism operations. A lone gunman targeted the patrol near a fortified security facility. U.S. and Syrian forces returned fire, killing the attacker at the scene.
Among the dead were two U.S. Army soldiers serving with the Iowa Army National Guard and a U.S. civilian interpreter supporting the mission. Three additional American service members were injured in the ambush. Syrian state media reported that at least two Syrian security personnel were also wounded.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds confirmed that the fallen soldiers were members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, which deployed to the Middle East earlier this year. Around 200 Iowa Guard members are currently operating in Syria as part of a broader deployment of nearly 1,900 troops from the state. The governor said she had been notified of the attack Saturday morning and had spoken directly with the families affected.
Military officials provided an update on the wounded soldiers, stating that one sustained minor injuries and was treated after being returned to base. The other two suffered more serious wounds and were evacuated by U.S. aircraft to a medical facility at a Jordanian air base in Amman. Both were reported to be in critical but stable condition, with signs of improvement later in the day.
The U.S. Department of Defense has launched a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack. The identities of the victims have not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin.
President Donald Trump condemned the assault, calling it an ISIS attack against both the United States and Syria. He vowed a strong response, stating that those responsible would face severe consequences. Senior U.S. defense officials echoed that message, warning militant groups that attacks on American personnel would be met with decisive and lethal force.
Syrian authorities also denounced the incident. Officials said preliminary findings suggest the attacker had ties to extremist ideology and may have been exploiting his position within local security structures. Syrian officials claimed they had shared intelligence warnings about a potential ISIS threat ahead of the incident, an assertion that is now part of the ongoing review.
The attack comes at a sensitive moment in U.S.–Syrian relations, roughly a month after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa made a landmark visit to Washington following last year’s political transition in Damascus. Syria recently joined the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS, a group that, while no longer controlling territory, is believed by the United Nations to still have thousands of fighters operating across Syria and Iraq.
Following the ambush, U.S. helicopters evacuated the wounded, air patrols increased in the region, and nearby highways were temporarily closed as security forces secured the area. The United States currently maintains about 2,000 troops in Syria as part of its mission to prevent an ISIS resurgence.
Officials stressed that operations against ISIS would continue, despite the losses, as investigations and security reviews move forward.
