🔗 Share this article Three Americans Killed in Syria by Alleged Islamic State Gunman, US Defense Department Reports A fatal attack in central Syria on Saturday resulted in the deaths of a pair of American troops and one American civilian interpreter, with a number of others wounded, according to the US Department of Defense. This offensive on US troops in the historic town of Palmyra marks the initial event to inflict casualties since the fall of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad roughly a year prior. "This assault took place while the soldiers were carrying out a high-level meeting," a Pentagon spokesperson stated. "Their mission was in aid of ongoing anti-ISIS / counter-terrorism missions in the region." The attacker behind the gunfire was eliminated by allied troops, as confirmed by a declaration from the Secretary of Defense. Specifics Kept Private Out of Respect US CENTCOM indicated that, to respect the privacy for the families and in accordance with standard procedure, the identities of the deceased personnel will not be released until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified. Initial accounts from local news agencies and a war monitor said that gunfire erupted during a tour by US soldiers to the area of Tadmur. Conflicting Reports Emerge According to a state-run media outlet, a pair of local security forces and several US personnel were injured in the incident. Those hurt were allegedly transported by aircraft to a military base near the frontier with Iraq and Jordan. An official for Syria's interior ministry said a gunman linked to Islamic State began shooting at the gate of a military post. Authorities are investigating whether the individual was a formal member of the group or merely espoused its extreme ideology. This spokesperson also denied a report from a UK-based monitoring group that the attacker was a member of the security forces. Continued American Deployment in the Region The US maintains hundreds of troops deployed in Syria's east as part of a multinational alliance fighting the ISIS militant group. Even after being declared defeated in Syria in 2019, the group's dormant networks still execute deadly attacks. United Nations estimates indicate the group retains thousands of militants in Syria and Iraq. American forces have been targeted in the past. One of the most severe prior incidents took place in 2019 in the north, when an blast killed American soldiers and two American civilians, among others.