Pentagon says a suspected ISIS gunman opened fire on a joint patrol near Palmyra; several U.S. soldiers remain hospitalized.
WASHINGTON, DC — A joint U.S.–Syrian security patrol came under small-arms fire near Palmyra on Saturday, killing two U.S. soldiers and an American civilian interpreter and wounding at least three other U.S. service members, according to U.S. defense officials and Syrian partners on the ground.
Officials said the ambush occurred during a routine movement tied to counterterrorism operations in central Syria, an area where Islamic State cells have staged hit-and-run attacks despite losing territory years ago. U.S. Central Command said initial reporting points to a single assailant who was later killed by partner forces. The wounded were evacuated by helicopter to a coalition facility for treatment. The attack is the deadliest incident for U.S. forces in Syria this year and comes as American troops continue advising local units against insurgent remnants scattered across the desert corridor.
The convoy was traveling on the outskirts of Palmyra late Saturday afternoon when the attacker opened fire at close range, striking the lead vehicles and personnel dismounted nearby, officials said. Syrian security members in the patrol also suffered injuries. Medics stabilized the most seriously wounded at the scene before U.S. helicopters ferried them to the Al-Tanf garrison near the Iraqi border. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth condemned the shooting and said partner forces stopped the gunman within minutes. “If you target Americans, you will be found,” Hegseth said in a brief statement, adding that the Pentagon is notifying families of the dead and wounded before releasing names.
Central Command said early assessments indicate the attacker had links to Islamic State, though investigators have not yet publicly detailed how the gunman approached the patrol or whether any support team scouted the route beforehand. A Syrian military official in the region said local units were assisting U.S. investigators with site security and evidence collection. The official, who spoke after visiting the scene, described spent rifle cartridges clustered near a roadside berm and a burned-out pickup used by the assailant. U.S. officials cautioned that casualty figures could change as doctors complete evaluations. As of Saturday evening, three injured U.S. soldiers remained in serious but stable condition, while two Syrian personnel were being treated at a hospital in Homs province.
American troops have operated in Syria since 2015 to help dismantle ISIS networks and support local partners who continue hunting insurgent cells. While the group’s self-declared caliphate collapsed in 2019, bombings and ambushes persist along desert routes between Homs and Deir ez-Zor. Palmyra, a strategic crossroads abutting the Badia desert, has changed hands multiple times during the war and remains vulnerable to insurgent raids that can strike soft targets or patrols outside fortified bases. Security analysts note that coalition forces have faced sporadic attacks over the past year as militants exploit long stretches of open terrain and limited air surveillance windows to stage short, lethal assaults before dispersing.
Military investigators will review the patrol’s route planning, communications logs, and overwatch coverage to determine whether there were indicators of an impending attack. Standard procedures call for a joint review by Central Command and the unit’s higher headquarters, followed by updates to tactics, techniques, and force protection. Officials said the Pentagon will publish the names of the fallen after next-of-kin notifications. Any potential claim of responsibility by ISIS will be examined against battlefield forensics gathered at the site, including weapon calibers, shell casings, and possible digital devices recovered from the attacker. A preliminary public update is expected within forty-eight hours, with more detailed findings to follow.
Residents in nearby villages reported hearing bursts of gunfire echo across the highway and seeing helicopters circling low over the desert flats before dusk. A local municipal worker described ambulances moving toward the city gate as Syrian security cordoned off side roads. “People stayed inside and shops closed early,” he said. A Syrian officer accompanying the patrol said the gunman fired first into the convoy then toward troops taking cover behind their vehicles. “Our men returned fire as the Americans pulled the wounded back,” the officer said, adding that the assailant fell after partner forces advanced on his position. At the coalition base, chaplains and casualty assistance teams met incoming aircraft as doctors triaged the injured.
As of late Saturday, Central Command said U.S. forces in Syria had shifted to a heightened security posture, with additional aerial reconnaissance over central desert routes and temporary pauses on nonessential ground movements. The Pentagon said more information on the condition of the wounded and the identities of the dead will be released after families are notified and medical teams complete evaluations. The next official update is expected Sunday afternoon from defense officials in Washington.
Author note: Last updated December 13, 2025.