🔗 Share this article A Trio of Americans Killed in Syrian Territory by Alleged Islamic State Gunman, Pentagon Reports A fatal ambush in the heart of Syria on Saturday morning led to the loss of two US army soldiers and a US civilian translator, with several other people injured, as stated by the US Department of Defense. The assault on American forces in the ancient city of Palmyra represents the initial event to cause fatalities following the ouster of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad roughly a year ago. "This assault occurred as the soldiers were carrying out a key leader engagement," an official stated. "Their mission was in aid of ongoing counter-ISIS / anti-terror operations in the region." The assailant responsible for the shooting was killed by partner forces, according to a statement from the Secretary of Defense. Details Withheld For Privacy Central Command noted that, as a matter of respect for the families and in line with policy, the identities of the deceased personnel will not be released until a full day after their families have been informed. Initial accounts from Syrian state media and a conflict observatory stated that gunfire rang out during a visit by US soldiers to the area of Tadmur. Conflicting Reports Surface Per a state-run media outlet, two members of local security forces and a number of US personnel were wounded in the incident. Those hurt were reportedly transported by aircraft to a garrison near the frontier with Iraq and Jordan. A spokesperson for Syria's interior ministry claimed a shooter affiliated with Islamic State began shooting at the entrance of a army position. Officials are looking into whether the individual was a formal member of the organization or merely espoused its extreme ideology. This spokesperson further denied a report from a UK-based monitoring group that the gunman was a security member. Ongoing US Presence in the Region The US maintains a military presence stationed in Syria's east as part of a multinational alliance combating the ISIS militant group. Even after being declared defeated in Syria in 2019, the group's dormant networks continue to carry out lethal strikes. United Nations estimates indicate the faction still has thousands of militants in both Syria and Iraq. American forces have been targeted in the before. One of the deadliest prior incidents took place in 2019 in northern Syria, when an blast claimed the lives of American soldiers and two American civilians, among additional casualties.