A Trio of US Citizens Killed in Syrian Territory by Alleged Islamic State Gunman, Pentagon Reports

A fatal attack in the heart of Syria on Saturday resulted in the deaths of a pair of American troops and a US civilian translator, with a number of others injured, according to the US Department of Defense.

This offensive on American forces in the historic town of Tadmur marks the initial incident to cause fatalities following the ouster of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad approximately a year prior.

"This assault took place while the service members were conducting a key leader engagement," a Pentagon spokesperson stated. "The operation was in support of on-going anti-ISIS / counter-terrorism missions in the region."

The assailant responsible for the shooting was eliminated by allied troops, according to a statement from the US defense secretary.

Details Kept Private Out of Respect

US CENTCOM noted that, to respect the privacy for the families and in line with standard procedure, the identities of the fallen service members will not be released until a full day after their next of kin have been informed.

Initial accounts from local news agencies and a conflict observatory stated that gunfire erupted during a tour by American troops to the area of Palmyra.

Varying Reports Surface

According to a state-run media outlet, two members of Syria's security force and several US service members were injured in the incident. The injured were allegedly evacuated by helicopters to a garrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan.

An official for the Syrian government said a gunman affiliated with ISIS opened fire at the entrance of a army position. Authorities are investigating whether the individual was a card-carrying member of the organization or simply adhered to its radical beliefs.

This spokesperson further denied a claim from a Britain-based rights group that the attacker was a member of the security forces.

Continued US Presence in Syria

The US maintains hundreds of troops stationed in Syria's east as part of a broader coalition fighting the Islamic State.

Despite being militarily routed in the country in 2019, the group's sleeper cells continue to carry out deadly attacks. UN assessments suggest the group still has thousands of fighters in both Syria and Iraq.

US troops have previously been attacked in the before. One of the deadliest prior incidents occurred in that year in the north, when an blast claimed the lives of American soldiers and US civilians, among others.