A deadly attack in central Syria on Saturday led to the loss of a pair of American troops and a US civilian translator, with a number of others injured, as stated by the US Department of Defense.
This offensive on American forces in the historic city of Tadmur represents the first incident to cause fatalities following the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad roughly a year ago.
"This assault took place while the service members were carrying out a high-level meeting," an official said. "The operation was in aid of on-going anti-ISIS / anti-terror operations in the region."
The attacker responsible for the shooting was eliminated by partner forces, as confirmed by a declaration from the US defense secretary.
Specifics Kept Private Out of Respect
US CENTCOM noted that, to respect the privacy for the loved ones and in line with standard procedure, the names of the deceased personnel will not be released until 24 hours after their next of kin have been informed.
Earlier reports from local news agencies and a conflict observatory said that gunfire erupted during a visit by American troops to the central town of Palmyra.
Varying Reports Surface
According to a government news agency, a pair of local security forces and several US personnel were injured in the incident. The injured were reportedly transported by aircraft to a military base near the border with Iraq and Jordan.
An official for Syria's interior ministry said a shooter affiliated with Islamic State opened fire at the entrance of a army position. Authorities are looking into whether the assailant was a card-carrying member of the group or merely espoused its extreme ideology.
This spokesperson further refuted a report from a Britain-based rights group that the attacker was a security member.
Ongoing American Deployment in the Region
The US currently has a military presence stationed in eastern Syria as a component of a multinational alliance combating the ISIS militant group.
Even after being militarily routed in Syria in recent years, the organization's sleeper cells continue to carry out deadly attacks. United Nations estimates indicate the faction still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
US troops have been attacked in the before. One of the most severe prior incidents occurred in that year in the north, when an blast claimed the lives of two US service members and US civilians, among additional casualties.
