American troops were ambushed in Syria on Saturday while on a patrol with Syrian allies.
Two Army soldiers and a U.S. interpreter were killed, the Pentagon said.
“Today in Palmyra, Syria, two United States Army soldiers and one civilian U.S. interpreter were killed, and three were wounded,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X.
“The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement. Their mission was in support of ongoing counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations in the region.”
Today in Palmyra, Syria, two United States Army soldiers and one civilian U.S. interpreter were killed, and three were wounded.
The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement. Their mission was in support of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism…
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) December 13, 2025
“The soldiers’ names, as well as identifying information about their units, are being withheld until 24 hours after the next of kin notification,” he wrote.
A U.S. military official called the incident that led to the death “a serious situation,” according to The New York Times.
A report from Reuters said up to four Americans were injured.
The Reuters report said a lone gunman attacked the patrol. Two Syrian troops were injured. The gunman was killed.
The attack took place near the town of Palmyra in central Syria.
The Syrian state news agency SANA on a mission against the Islamic State when it was attacked.
According to Stars and Stripes, U.S. helicopters evacuated injured personnel to the Al-Tanf base in southeast Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least three people were wounded and that the attacker belonged to the Syrian security force.
BREAKING News: Following an attack by the Islamic State on US and Syrian forces in Palmyra, central Syria, casualties have been reported.
Several US casualties were reportedly hurt during the Islamic State raid, and helicopters transported them from Palmyra to Al-Tanf camp.… pic.twitter.com/gzM0eV7ArY
— Carlos Lopez (@CarlosL84862301) December 13, 2025
As of last December, about 2,000 American troops were in Syria, the Times reports.
U.S. forces in Syria have partnered with the Syrian Democratic Forces in the country’s northeast to support efforts to contain the Islamic State.
The overthrow of former leader Bashar al-Assad led to a reduction in troop levels, the Times reported.
The Times noted that despite efforts to contain it, the Islamic State remained resilient.
“There are also growing concerns about the possibility of the group’s breaking thousands of its hardened militants out of detention, which could further destabilize the region,” it reported.
“The United States, CIA and military forces are reportedly deeply involved in securing and stabilizing the situation in Syria,” Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, recently said to Fox.
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