Two United States Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday during an attack in Syria, the US Department of Defense has confirmed.
In a statement, Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said three other personnel were wounded in the incident, which occurred while the troops were carrying out a key leader engagement as part of ongoing counter-terrorism operations against the Islamic State (ISIS) in the region.
“The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement. Their mission was in support of ongoing counter-ISIS operations,” Parnell said, adding that the identities of the deceased are being withheld until their next of kin are notified.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the attacker was killed by partner forces following the assault.
“Let it be known, if you target Americans anywhere in the world, the United States will hunt you down,” Hegseth said in a post on X.
According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, the US troops came under fire during a joint patrol with Syrian forces in central Syria.
Traffic along the highway between Deir Ezzor and Damascus was temporarily halted as security forces responded to the incident.
Video footage circulated online showed US combat aircraft flying overhead, while US helicopters were deployed to evacuate the wounded to the al-Tanf military base, a US installation located near Syria’s border with Iraq.
US Central Command has yet to provide additional details, as investigations into the attack continue.
The incident marks one of the deadliest attacks on US forces in Syria in recent months and underscores the persistent security risks facing international forces operating in the region.