U.S. and Syrian Forces Hit by ISIS Attack Near Palmyra; Trump Warns of “Very Serious Retaliation”

In a brutal attack that left two U.S. service members and an American civilian dead, President Donald Trump warned that the United States would respond with “very serious retaliation.” The incident, which took place near the historic city of Palmyra in central Syria, has drawn sharp reactions from both U.S. and Syrian officials and reignited discussions about the ongoing fight against the Islamic State.

The Attack

The ambush occurred Saturday when a lone member of the Islamic State opened fire on U.S. troops and a civilian interpreter near Palmyra. Three U.S. service members were wounded and were air‑lifted by helicopter to the al‑Tanf garrison close to the Iraq‑Jordan border. U.S. Central Command said the gunman was killed on the scene. The state‑run SANA news agency reported that two members of Syria’s security force and several U.S. service members had also been wounded in the exchange.

The casualty list included a U.S. interpreter, a civilian who was part of the U.S. mission, and two U.S. service members who were killed. The wounded U.S. troops were described by the U.S. military as “seem to be doing pretty well.”

Trump’s Response

In a post on Truth Social, President Trump called the incident “an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them.” He added that the attack “will be met with very serious retaliation.” Trump also said that Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa was “devastated by what happened” and “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack.” He emphasized that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops and that the U.S. would not tolerate attacks on its personnel.

U.S. Military Statements

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that the civilian killed was a U.S. interpreter. He said the attack “targeted soldiers involved in the ongoing counter‑terrorism operations in the region and is under active investigation.” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X, warning, “Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”

Syrian Government Reaction

Syria’s Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al‑Din al‑Baba stated that a gunman linked to IS opened fire at the gate of a military post. He added that authorities were investigating whether the gunman was an IS member or merely carried its extreme ideology, and he denied reports that the attacker was a member of the security forces. The Britain‑based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, identified the attacker as a member of the Syrian security force.

President al‑Sharaa, who led the rebel forces that toppled Bashar Assad in December 2024 and was named the country’s interim leader in January, made a historic visit to Washington last month. He held talks with President Trump, marking the first White House visit by a Syrian head of state since the country gained independence from France in 1946. The visit followed the U.S. lifting sanctions that had been imposed during Assad’s rule.

Broader Context

The attack is the first with fatalities since the fall of President Bashar Assad a year ago. The United States has hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the Islamic State. The U.S. has maintained a presence in various parts of Syria, including the al‑Tanf garrison in the central province of Homs, to train other forces as part of a broad campaign against IS.

The Islamic State was defeated on the battlefield in Syria in 2019, but sleeper cells continue to carry out deadly attacks. The United Nations reports that the group still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq. Last month, Syria joined the international coalition fighting against IS as Damascus improves its relations with Western countries following the ouster of Assad when insurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus.

One of the deadliest attacks in the region occurred in 2019 in the northern town of Manbij, when a blast killed two U.S. service members and two American civilians, along with others from Syria, while they were conducting a patrol.

Key Takeaways

• Two U.S. service members and a civilian interpreter were killed in an ISIS‑linked ambush near Palmyra.
• President Trump declared “very serious retaliation” and highlighted Syria’s cooperation with U.S. forces.
• The U.S. military confirmed the gunman was killed and the wounded troops are recovering.
• Syrian officials are investigating the attacker’s affiliation, with conflicting reports from the Interior Ministry and the Syrian Observatory.
• The incident marks the first U.S. fatalities in Syria since the fall of Assad and underscores the ongoing threat of IS sleeper cells.

The attack has intensified tensions in a region already fraught with conflict. As the United States and its allies continue to confront the remnants of the Islamic State, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the persistent dangers faced by troops on the ground.