On Saturday, President Donald Trump issued a stern warning of “very serious retaliation” following the tragic ambush by an Islamic State assailant in Syria, which resulted in the deaths of two U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. interpreter.
The Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, confirmed the incident, stating that the attack occurred in Palmyra, a central Syrian town. The ambush, carried out by a lone ISIS gunman, also left three others injured, as reported by U.S. Central Command.
“We deeply grieve the loss of three valiant American Patriots in Syria, comprising two soldiers and one civilian interpreter. Our thoughts and prayers extend to the three wounded soldiers, who, we are relieved to confirm, are recovering well. This incident reflects an ISIS assault on the U.S. and Syria, in a perilous region not entirely under their control,” Trump expressed on Truth Social.
He further mentioned, “Syria’s President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is profoundly angered and unsettled by this attack. A very serious retaliation is forthcoming.”
U.S. troops conduct patrols in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli, located in the Hasakeh province, as of January 9, 2025. (Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images)
Speaking to journalists outside the White House on Saturday, Trump reiterated, “This was an ISIS attack targeting both us and Syria. We continue to mourn, offering our prayers for the victims, their families, and their loved ones.”
Parnell wrote on X that the attack happened as the soldiers “were conducting a key leader engagement.”
“Their mission was in support of ongoing counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations in the region,” he added, noting that “The soldiers’ names, as well as identifying information about their units, are being withheld until 24 hours after the next of kin notification. “
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that, “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,” Hegseth also said in a post on X.
Parnell said the attack is currently under investigation. A Pentagon official told Fox News Digital that the attack unfolded in a place where the Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa does not have control.
President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House on Nov. 10, 2025. A Pentagon official told Fox News Digital that the attack on the soldiers on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, unfolded in a place where the Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa does not have control. (Syrian Presidency/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“I’m praying for the brave U.S. soldiers and civilian who lost their lives, those who were injured in this attack, and the families who bear this profound loss,” Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll wrote on X. “The men and women who serve our country represent the very best of our nation. We mourn the passing of these heroes and honor their service and sacrifice.”
A senior U.S. official earlier confirmed to Fox News there were multiple injuries after American service members were ambushed in Syria.
“The United States, CIA and military forces are reportedly deeply involved in securing and stabilizing the situation in Syria,” Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, recently told Fox News Digital.
The injured in Saturday’s attack were taken by helicopters to the al-Tanf garrison, which is near the border with Iraq and Jordan, The Associated Press reported, citing Syrian state media.
U.S. Army soldiers prepare to go out on patrol from a remote combat outpost on May 25, 2021, in northeastern Syria. (John Moore/Getty Images)
There are currently around 900 U.S. troops in Syria.
The U.S. had eight bases in Syria to keep an eye on ISIS since the U.S. military went in to prevent the terrorist group from setting up a caliphate in 2014, although three of those bases have since been closed down or turned over to the Syrian Democratic Forces.
On Monday, tens of thousands of Syrians flooded the streets of Damascus to mark the first anniversary of the Assad regime’s collapse.
U.S. Army soldiers stand near an armored military vehicle on the outskirts of Rumaylan in Syria’s northeastern Hasakeh province, bordering Turkey, on March 27, 2023. (Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images)
Those celebrations came a year after former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fled the capital as rebel forces swept through the country in a lightning offensive that ended five decades of Assad family rule and opened a new chapter in Syrian history.
