Donald Trump: US President Donald Trump has vowed a strong response after three Americans were killed in a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) attack in Syria, calling it the deadliest assault on US personnel in the country since the collapse of former president Bashar al-Assad’s rule last year.
According to the US military’s Central Command, two American service members and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday when a lone gunman ambushed a US-linked convoy. Three other US troops were wounded in the attack.
Trump Warns Of “Very Serious Retaliation”
Speaking to reporters at the White House before leaving for the Army–Navy football game, Trump described the incident as a direct ISIS attack. He later reiterated the warning in a post on Truth Social, offering condolences to the families of the victims and confirming that the injured soldiers were recovering.
“This was an ISIS attack against the United States,” Trump said, adding that it occurred in a volatile region of Syria beyond full government control. He warned that the killings would be met with “very serious retaliation,” signalling a tough response from Washington.
Ambush Near Palmyra, Investigation Underway
The shooting occurred near the historic city of Palmyra in central Syria, according to state-run media. The wounded were airlifted by US helicopters to the American military base at al-Tanf, located near Syria’s borders with Iraq and Jordan.
Syria’s Interior Ministry said an investigation is ongoing to determine whether the attacker was an Islamic State operative or an individual influenced by the group’s extremist ideology. Officials denied claims that the gunman had links to Syrian security forces.
US Defence Officials Issue Strong Warning
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also responded forcefully, warning that any attack on Americans would be met with relentless action. He said those responsible would be hunted down, reinforcing the administration’s hardline stance on protecting US personnel overseas.
The United States currently has several hundred troops stationed in eastern Syria as part of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State. Although the group lost its territorial stronghold in 2019, the United Nations estimates it still has thousands of fighters operating in Syria and Iraq through sleeper cells.
The ambush comes just weeks after Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, visited Washington and signed a political cooperation agreement with the US-led coalition aimed at intensifying efforts to counter ISIS, underscoring the ongoing threat posed by the militant group despite years of military pressure.
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