Three Americans Killed in Syrian Territory by Alleged ISIS Assailant, Pentagon Reports
A fatal attack in the heart of Syria on Saturday morning led to the deaths of a pair of American troops and one American civilian interpreter, with a number of others injured, according to the Pentagon.
The assault on US troops in the historic city of Tadmur represents the initial incident to cause fatalities following the ouster of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad roughly a year prior.
"This assault occurred as the service members were carrying out a key leader engagement," a Pentagon spokesperson said. "Their mission was in aid of on-going anti-ISIS / anti-terror missions in the region."
The assailant responsible for the shooting was eliminated by allied troops, as confirmed by a statement from the US defense secretary.
Details Kept Private For Privacy
Central Command noted that, to respect the privacy for the families and in line with policy, the names of the fallen service members will not be released until 24 hours after their next of kin have been informed.
Earlier reports from Syrian state media and a conflict observatory stated that gunfire rang out during a tour by American troops to the area of Palmyra.
Varying Accounts Surface
According to a government media outlet, two members of local security forces and a number of US service members were injured in the exchange. The injured were reportedly evacuated by aircraft to a military base near the border with neighboring countries.
A spokesperson for the Syrian government claimed a shooter affiliated with ISIS opened fire at the entrance of a army position. Officials are investigating whether the individual was a card-carrying member of the group or merely adhered to its radical beliefs.
The official further denied a report from a UK-based monitoring group that the gunman was a member of the security forces.
Continued US Presence in Syria
The US currently has hundreds of troops deployed in Syria's east as a component of a broader coalition combating the Islamic State.
Even after being militarily routed in the country in recent years, the group's dormant networks still carry out deadly attacks. United Nations estimates indicate the group still has thousands of militants in both Syria and Iraq.
US troops have been targeted in the past. One of the most severe previous attacks occurred in that year in northern Syria, when an blast claimed the lives of two US service members and US civilians, among others.
