President Donald Trump pledged a forceful response Saturday after two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in a deadly ambush by an ISIS gunman in Syria. The attack occurred during a counterterrorism mission near Palmyra, where American forces were meeting with local leaders as part of ongoing operations against the Islamic State.
According to the Pentagon, three other U.S. personnel were wounded in the attack. The lone ISIS gunman responsible for the ambush was killed on site by U.S. partner forces. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the incident and described the operation as a “key leader engagement” in support of counter-ISIS efforts.
President Trump responded swiftly on Truth Social, calling the attack a direct assault on U.S. forces. “This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them,” Trump said. “There will be very serious retaliation.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s resolve, stating that the perpetrator had already been killed and warning future enemies. “Those who target Americans will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you,” Hegseth said in a public post.
The attack reportedly took place in an area outside the jurisdiction of Syria’s interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. U.S. Central Command confirmed the ambush but did not disclose further details about the attacker’s identity. Conflicting reports emerged from the region, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claiming the assailant had ties to Syria’s security forces. Syrian officials denied any leadership role for the attacker, insisting he was acting independently.
Syria’s Interior Ministry said internal security had issued warnings about potential Islamic State threats in the Badia region, but alleged that U.S.-led coalition forces ignored the alerts.
The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of U.S. troops stationed in the region. Approximately 2,000 American troops remain in Syria, primarily in the northeast, where they support local security units in suppressing ISIS activity. Though the U.S. has reduced its presence in the Middle East in recent years, American forces continue to face hostile threats in unstable regions.
President Trump reiterated the U.S. commitment to holding terrorists accountable ahead of the Army-Navy game in Baltimore. When asked whether retaliation was coming, he responded, “Yeah, we will.”
