2 US Soldiers, Civilian Killed in ISIS Ambush in Syria, Trump Warns of Retaliation

Two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed, while at least three others were wounded, in an ambush carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) in central Syria on Saturday, the US Central Command said.

The attack occurred near the historic city of Palmyra and marked the first deadly assault on US troops in Syria since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad a year ago, according to defence officials. Central Command said the identities of the deceased service members would be withheld for 24 hours to allow next of kin to be notified.

Details surrounding the ambush remain limited. US officials have not disclosed the exact circumstances of the attack or the condition of the injured personnel. Syrian state media reported that gunfire erupted during a visit by US troops to the area, leaving multiple people wounded.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the incident also injured several Syrian security personnel and claimed the attacker was a member of local security forces. Local reports indicated that the assailant was killed, though official confirmation was not immediately available.

President Donald Trump strongly condemned the attack, calling it an ISIS operation and warning of decisive retaliation. In a social media post, Trump said the ambush took place in a volatile region of Syria that remains vulnerable to militant activity.

Speaking later at the White House, Trump said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was deeply shaken by the incident and was cooperating closely with US forces. He added that the Syrian leadership was angered by the attack and committed to assisting ongoing security operations.

The United States maintains several hundred troops in eastern Syria as part of a US-led coalition aimed at preventing the resurgence of ISIS. While the group lost territorial control in Syria in 2019, the United Nations estimates it still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters operating across Syria and Iraq through sleeper cells.