Two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in an Islamic State attack on Saturday in Palmyra, Syria, where they were supporting counterterrorism operations, the Pentagon said.
Three others were wounded, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the attacker was killed by partner forces.
The attacker was a member of Syrian security forces, three local officials told Reuters.
A Syrian interior ministry spokesperson told Syrian television channel Al-Ikhbariya that the attacker did not have a leadership role in the security forces. He did not say whether the man was a junior member.
The forces from the American-led coalition fighting Islamic State came under fire on Saturday while on patrol in the central Syrian town of Palmyra, two local Syrian officials told Reuters.
The officials said there were casualties.
US military personnel wounded in attack on Syrian forces
Two members of the Syrian security forces were wounded, and a number of American personnel were injured, according to the Syrian state media site SANA.
American helicopters intervened to evacuate the injured to Al-Tanf base following the attack, according to SANA.
A single gunman was killed, and US Central Command has since confirmed the killer was a member of the Islamic State terror group.
The identities of the soldiers will be withheld from public knowledge for 24 hours to give the US government an opportunity to privately inform the families of the victims.
Following the Pentagon's announcement, US Ambassador Tom Barrack wrote, "I strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist ambush targeting a joint U.S.–Syrian government patrol in central Syria. We mourn the loss of three brave U.S. service members and civilian personnel and wish a speedy recovery to the Syrian troops wounded in the attack. We remain committed to defeating terrorism with our Syrian partners."
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote, "The savage who perpetrated this attack was killed by partner forces.
"Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you."
US President Donald Trump also addressed the attack, saying, "We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter. Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well."
"This was an ISIS attack against the US and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria that is not fully controlled by them. The President of Syria, 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 concluded.
This is a developing story.