🔗 Share this article Three Americans Fatally Wounded in Syrian Territory by Suspected ISIS Assailant, Pentagon Reports A fatal attack in central Syria on Saturday led to 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. The assault on American forces in the ancient town of Palmyra represents the first event to inflict casualties since the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad roughly a year ago. "The attack took place while the soldiers were carrying out a high-level meeting," an official stated. "The operation was in aid of on-going anti-ISIS / counter-terrorism missions in the area." The assailant responsible for the shooting was eliminated by allied troops, as confirmed by a declaration from the Secretary of Defense. Specifics Withheld For Privacy US CENTCOM noted that, as a matter of respect for the families and in line with standard procedure, the names of the deceased personnel will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been informed. Initial accounts from Syrian state media and a conflict observatory stated that shots rang out during a visit by US soldiers to the area of Palmyra. Varying Accounts Emerge Per a government media outlet, two members of local security forces and a number of US personnel were wounded in the incident. The injured were reportedly evacuated by aircraft to a garrison near the frontier with neighboring countries. A spokesperson for Syria's interior ministry said a shooter linked to Islamic State began shooting at the entrance of a military post. Authorities are looking into whether the assailant was a formal member of the group or merely espoused its extreme ideology. The official also denied a report from a Britain-based monitoring group that the attacker was a member of the security forces. Continued American Deployment in the Region The US currently has hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as a component of a broader coalition fighting the Islamic State. Even after being militarily routed in Syria in recent years, the organization's sleeper cells still execute deadly attacks. UN estimates indicate the group retains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both Syria and Iraq. US troops have previously been attacked in the past. Among the most severe previous attacks occurred in 2019 in the north, when an blast killed two US service members and two American civilians, among others.