“Lone ISIS Gunman” in Syria Targets US Personnel

(MENAFN) US military and civilian staff were targeted by a “lone ISIS gunman” in Syria, resulting in three fatalities and three additional injuries, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on Saturday. According to the US military, the attacker was “engaged and killed” during the assault. CENTCOM did not provide precise details about the location of the incident nor the identities of the victims, adhering to Pentagon policies.

US President Donald Trump has promised a “very serious retaliation” in response to the strike, attributing responsibility to the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the event as “an ISIS attack against the US, and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria that is not fully controlled by them,” adding that the Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack.”

Local reports indicate that the ambush took place near Palmyra, a central Syrian town, where a joint patrol of US troops and Syrian government forces came under fire. At least two Syrian soldiers were reported injured during the attack.

Following the incident, traffic on the Damascus-Deir ez-Zor highway was temporarily suspended, and security forces secured the area surrounding Palmyra. Footage circulating online showed multiple US military aircraft flying at low altitudes over the region.

The Syrian Interior Ministry stated that it had alerted the US-led coalition of a “possible” IS assault. However, ministry spokesperson Anwar al-Baba claimed in a televised statement that warnings of “possible IS infiltration” were disregarded by the “partner forces.”

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