Two U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian were killed Saturday in Palmyra, central Syria, after an ambush by an attacker U.S. officials described as affiliated with ISIS, U.S. Central Command said. Three other service members were wounded in the incident.
According to CENTCOM, the shooting occurred as the U.S. personnel were concluding a leader engagement tied to missions supporting counterterrorism operations in the region. A defense official said partner forces on the ground killed the attacker. The circumstances of the ambush are under investigation.
CENTCOM noted that, since October, its forces have “advised, assisted, and enabled” more than 22 operations against ISIS with local partners in Syria, resulting in five ISIS members killed and 19 captured. Officials said those efforts are part of ongoing efforts to disrupt and degrade the group’s capabilities.
U.S. military and diplomatic representatives have not released further details about the identities of the Americans killed or the injured service members, citing next-of-kin notifications and the ongoing inquiry.
This remains a developing story; more information will be released as officials confirm additional details.