Overview
- U.S. Central Command said the ambush was carried out by a lone Islamic State gunman, who was engaged and killed by partner forces.
- Syrian officials said the shooter was a member of their security services previously flagged for extremist ideas, a claim not confirmed by the U.S.
- The victims were attacked during a key leader engagement in Palmyra, leaving two soldiers and a U.S. interpreter dead and three service members wounded, with evacuations to the al-Tanf garrison.
- No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Pentagon said an active investigation is underway.
- The fatalities are the first for U.S. forces in Syria since Assad’s fall last year and follow recent steps to expand U.S.–Syrian cooperation against ISIS.