Overview
- Two U.S. soldiers and an American interpreter were killed and three other soldiers were wounded during a joint visit near Palmyra, according to Centcom.
- U.S. officials said an "isolated shooter" tied to Islamic State carried out the ambush and was killed at the scene.
- Syrian state media and a security official claimed the attacker was a General Security member, with 11 personnel detained, and the Interior Ministry said he was slated for dismissal over extremist views, a narrative the U.S. has not confirmed.
- President Donald Trump vowed retaliation and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a warning to those who target Americans, while Syria’s foreign ministry condemned the attack.
- The Pentagon opened an inquiry as helicopters evacuated the wounded to the U.S. base at Al‑Tanf, in an incident that marks the first U.S. fatalities in Syria since Assad’s fall and raises questions about joint counter‑IS operations.