🔗 Share this article Three Americans Fatally Wounded in Syrian Territory by Alleged ISIS Assailant, Pentagon Says A deadly ambush in central Syria on Saturday morning resulted in the loss of a pair of American troops and one American civilian interpreter, with several other people injured, according to the Pentagon. The assault on American forces in the ancient city of Palmyra represents the initial event to inflict casualties following the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad roughly a year prior. "This assault took place while the service members were carrying out a high-level meeting," a Pentagon spokesperson said. "The operation was in support of on-going anti-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region." The attacker responsible for the shooting was eliminated by partner forces, as confirmed by a statement from the Secretary of Defense. Specifics Withheld Out of Respect Central Command noted that, to respect the privacy for the families and in accordance with standard procedure, the names of the fallen service members will be withheld until a full day after their families have been informed. Earlier reports from Syrian state media and a conflict observatory said that gunfire erupted during a tour by American troops to the area of Palmyra. Varying Reports Surface Per a state-run media outlet, a pair of local security forces and several US service members were injured in the exchange. Those hurt were reportedly transported by aircraft to a military base near the frontier with neighboring countries. A spokesperson for Syria's interior ministry said a gunman affiliated with Islamic State began shooting at the entrance of a military post. Officials are investigating whether the assailant was a card-carrying member of the organization or merely adhered to its radical beliefs. This spokesperson further refuted a report from a Britain-based monitoring group that the attacker was a security member. Ongoing American Deployment in the Region The US maintains hundreds of troops stationed in eastern Syria as a component of a broader coalition fighting the ISIS militant group. Despite being declared defeated in Syria in recent years, the organization's dormant networks still carry out deadly attacks. United Nations assessments suggest the group retains thousands of fighters in Syria and Iraq. US troops have been targeted in the past. Among the deadliest prior incidents took place in 2019 in the north, when an explosion claimed the lives of American soldiers and two American civilians, among additional casualties.