Two U.S. soldiers and an American civilian interpreter died in Syria on Saturday after being ambushed by a suspected ISIS gunman, U.S. officials said.
The gunman was killed by “associated forces” during a skirmish, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In this Jan. 9, 2025, file photo, U.S. forces patrol in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli in Hasakeh province.
Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
Three other service members were wounded during the incident in Palmyra, Syria, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. Two US officials told ABC News that the injured were Americans.
“The attack occurred while soldiers were conducting an engagement with a key leader. Their mission was to support ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-ISIS operations in the region,” Parnell said in a statement.
This marked the first combat deaths since President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office.
Trump took to social media on Saturday to express his condolences for the fallen soldiers and condemn the attack.
“Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he said in the post.
Trump claimed that the incident was an “ISIS attack against the United States and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, which is not fully controlled by them.”
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he leaves the South Lawn of the White House, December 13, 2025, in Washington, DC, on his way to Baltimore to attend the Army-Navy football game.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
The president echoed his remarks with brief comments to reporters Saturday, reiterating as he walked away from reporters: “We will retaliate.”
The soldiers’ identities were not immediately released due to ongoing notifications to next of kin, officials said.
In this Jan. 9, 2025, file photo, a U.S. soldier holds a dog as forces patrol in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli in Hasakeh province.
Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
The three American deaths Today’s attack in Syria marks the first combat deaths in that country. since 2019 when four Americans were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Manbij, Syria.
Before Saturday, there were 10 US military deaths in Syria, including a mix of hostile and non-hostile deaths. The most recent US military death in Syria was a non-hostile death in February. 2022.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang and Emily Chang contributed to this report.
