Just In: Two U.S. Soldiers and American Interpreter Killed in Ambush Near Palmyra, Syria
Palmyra, Syria — December 13, 2025: Two U.S. Army soldiers and one American civilian working as an interpreter were killed Saturday in an ambush near the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria, according to U.S. Central Command and the Pentagon. Three additional U.S. personnel were wounded in the attack.
The incident occurred during what U.S. officials described as a “key leader engagement,” a coordination meeting conducted as part of ongoing counter-ISIS and counter-terrorism operations in the region. U.S. forces were operating alongside partner security forces at the time.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the attack was carried out by a lone gunman linked to ISIS, who opened fire during the engagement. The assailant was subsequently killed by partner forces on the ground. No further details about the attacker’s identity or motive have been released.
The wounded U.S. personnel were evacuated by helicopter to the al-Tanf garrison, a U.S. military outpost near the Syria-Iraq-Jordan border. Officials said names and unit information of the deceased are being withheld for 24 hours pending notification of next of kin.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the attacker’s death and issued a warning following the incident, stating that those who target Americans “will be hunted down.”
The United States maintains hundreds of troops in Syria as part of a mission to prevent an ISIS resurgence and support local partner forces. While the militant group lost territorial control in 2019, U.S. and international officials have warned that ISIS remnants continue to operate through sleeper cells across parts of Syria and Iraq.
Palmyra, also known as Tadmur, holds strategic and symbolic significance. The city was captured by ISIS in 2015, where the group carried out public executions among the ancient Roman ruins, before being retaken by anti-ISIS forces.
This attack marks a rare deadly assault on U.S. forces in Syria amid a shifting security environment following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last year. The incident remains under active investigation, and additional updates are expected as more information becomes available.
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