The U.S. Pentagon stated that two U.S. soldiers and an American civilian working as an interpreter were killed in an ambush while supporting counterterrorism operations in Syria on Saturday (December 13), with three other U.S. soldiers and two members of the Syrian security forces injured. U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to take "very severe retaliatory actions".

According to combined reports from The New York Times and Reuters, the attacker ambushed a convoy of a U.S.-Syrian joint force. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said the attacker was a sole member of the extremist group Islamic State (ISIS) and was killed in the exchange of fire.

Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a separate statement that the attack took place in the central Syrian city of Palmyra. Palmyra is not currently under the control of the Syrian Transitional Government.

This marks the first U.S. military casualties in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in Syria last year.

Less than a month ago, Syria announced the signing of a political cooperation agreement with the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, and Syrian President Sharara also visited the White House.

Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social: "This was an ISIS attack on the United States and Syria, taking place in a very dangerous area of Syria that is not fully under their control. We will take very severe retaliatory actions."

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani said on the X platform: "Damascus strongly condemns the terrorist attack against the U.S.-Syrian joint counterterrorism patrol near Palmyra."

Syrian state media reported that after the attack, U.S. military helicopters evacuated the wounded to the al-Tanf U.S. military base in southeastern Syria.

The United States began deploying troops in Syria after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war and currently has garrisons at the al-Tanf military base and several military bases in northeastern Syria. The al-Tanf military base is about 100 kilometers in a straight line from the city of Palmyra.

The U.S. Pentagon stated that two U.S. soldiers and an American civilian working as an interpreter were killed in an ambush while supporting counterterrorism operations in Syria on Saturday (December 13), with three other U.S. soldiers and two members of the Syrian security forces injured. U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to take "very severe retaliatory actions".

According to combined reports from The New York Times and Reuters, the attacker ambushed a convoy of a U.S.-Syrian joint force. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said the attacker was a sole member of the extremist group Islamic State (ISIS) and was killed in the exchange of fire.

Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a separate statement that the attack took place in the central Syrian city of Palmyra. Palmyra is not currently under the control of the Syrian Transitional Government.

This marks the first U.S. military casualties in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in Syria last year.

Less than a month ago, Syria announced the signing of a political cooperation agreement with the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, and Syrian President Sharara also visited the White House.

Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social: "This was an ISIS attack on the United States and Syria, taking place in a very dangerous area of Syria that is not fully under their control. We will take very severe retaliatory actions."

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani said on the X platform: "Damascus strongly condemns the terrorist attack against the U.S.-Syrian joint counterterrorism patrol near Palmyra."

Syrian state media reported that after the attack, U.S. military helicopters evacuated the wounded to the al-Tanf U.S. military base in southeastern Syria.

The United States began deploying troops in Syria after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war and currently has garrisons at the al-Tanf military base and several military bases in northeastern Syria. The al-Tanf military base is about 100 kilometers in a straight line from the city of Palmyra.