ISIS gunman ambush in Syria kills 2 U.S. troops, 1 civilian

Two U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter were killed, and three other service members wounded after an ISIS gunman ambushed a joint U.S.-Syrian patrol near Palmyra in central Syria, Pentagon officials said.Pentagon officials said. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the attack occurre

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the attack occurred while U.S. forces were conducting a “key leader engagement” in support of ongoing counter-ISIS and counter-terrorism operations in the region. The civilian killed was serving as an interpreter, U.S. officials said.

U.S. Central Command described the incident as an ambush carried out by a lone ISIS gunman, who was engaged and killed at the scene. The attack remains under active investigation, and the identities of the fallen service members have not been released pending notification of next of kin.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that two Syrian security personnel were also wounded in the shooting. No immediate details were provided on their condition.

The incident prompted a temporary closure of the highway linking Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria with Damascus. Intensive aerial activity was reported in the area following the attack, with U.S. helicopters evacuating the wounded to the Al-Tanf base in southeastern Syria.

The Palmyra region is known for the presence of Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh) sleeper cells, which continue to carry out sporadic attacks across Syria’s southeastern desert despite the group’s territorial defeat.

U.S. forces operate in Syria as part of the U.S.-led international coalition against ISIS, formed in 2014. Syria officially joined the coalition on November 12, 2025, marking its first formal participation after years of indirect involvement.

Since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, Syria’s new administration has sought to restore security and stabilize conditions nationwide amid continued insurgent threats.

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