Two American soldiers and an American translator were killed, and other US Army personnel and “armed groups” were injured in an attack targeting a joint military delegation in the city of Palmyra (Tadmor) in central Syria.
According to the Pentagon, the attack occurred while the US soldiers were meeting with local leaders. Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the attack was the result of an ambush by a lone gunman from the so-called “ISIS” organization, who was killed by partner forces.
This marks the first such incident recorded since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime a year ago. The ruling armed groups have taken steps toward rapprochement with the United States in recent months.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) had reported the “injury of two members of the Syrian Security forces and a number of US forces personnel” during the attack, noting that the “gunman” was killed.
A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the shooting occurred while Syrian and American officers were meeting inside a Syrian Security headquarters in the historic city of Palmyra.
SANA reported that helicopters transported the wounded to the Al-Tanf base, where US forces are deployed.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), this delegation visit comes “within a clear American strategy to enhance presence and influence deep within the Syrian desert (Badiya).”
The so-called “ISIS” organization had previously controlled the city of Palmyra in 2015 and 2016 amid the expansion of its influence in the Syrian desert.
