A fatal ambush in central Syria on Saturday morning resulted in the loss of a pair of American troops and one American civilian interpreter, with a number of others wounded, according to the Pentagon.
This offensive on American forces in the ancient city of Tadmur represents the initial incident to cause fatalities following the fall of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad roughly a year ago.
"The attack took place while the service members were carrying out a key leader engagement," an official stated. "The operation was in aid of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the area."
The attacker responsible for the shooting was eliminated by partner forces, according to a declaration from the US defense secretary.
Details Kept Private For Privacy
Central Command indicated that, to respect the privacy for the loved ones and in line with standard procedure, the names of the deceased personnel will not be released until 24 hours after their families have been notified.
Earlier reports from local news agencies and a conflict observatory said that shots erupted during a visit by American troops to the area of Palmyra.
Conflicting Reports Emerge
According to a government media outlet, two members of Syria's security force and several US personnel were wounded in the incident. Those hurt were reportedly transported by helicopters to a garrison near the frontier with neighboring countries.
An official for the Syrian government said a shooter affiliated with ISIS began shooting at the entrance of a army position. Authorities are looking into whether the assailant was a formal member of the organization or simply adhered to its extreme ideology.
The official further denied a report from a Britain-based rights group that the attacker was a security member.
Continued US Presence in Syria
The United States currently has hundreds of troops stationed in eastern Syria as a component of a broader coalition fighting the Islamic State.
Even after being militarily routed in Syria in recent years, the organization's sleeper cells still execute deadly attacks. UN assessments indicate the group still has thousands of fighters in both Syria and Iraq.
US troops have been attacked in the past. Among the most severe previous attacks took place in that year in the north, when an explosion killed American soldiers and two American civilians, among additional casualties.
