{"id":33128,"date":"2025-12-15T00:19:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T22:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=33128"},"modified":"2025-12-15T00:19:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T22:19:11","slug":"trump-pledges-retaliation-after-two-us-soldiers-and-one-civilian-interpreter-were-killed-in-syria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/trump-pledges-retaliation-after-two-us-soldiers-and-one-civilian-interpreter-were-killed-in-syria\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump pledges retaliation after two US soldiers and one civilian interpreter were killed in Syria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>7 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>U.S. President Donald Trump vowed retaliation after two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in central Syria on December 13, 2025, in an attack that U.S. officials blamed on the Islamic State militant group.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three other U.S. service members were also wounded in the attack, U.S. Central Command and the Department of War said. The identities of the Americans killed are being withheld for 24 hours until next of kin are notified, U.S. officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attack occurred in the Palmyra area and was carried out by a single Islamic State gunman who was later killed. Syria\u2019s state news agency said two members of the Syrian security forces were also wounded in the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Syrian officials said the attack occurred during a joint U.S.-Syrian visit to the Palmyra area. A Syrian defense ministry official said U.S. forces arrived by land from the direction of the Al-Tanf military base and toured the city before proceeding to the T-4 airbase, later returning to a base in Palmyra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Syrian military official said shots were fired \u201cduring a meeting between Syrian and American officers\u201d at a Syrian base. The interior ministry said the assailant opened fire at the gate of a fortified command facility belonging to Syria\u2019s internal security forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cWe mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter. Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well. This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uK3t5dlMfL\">pic.twitter.com\/uK3t5dlMfL<\/a><\/p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WhiteHouse\/status\/1999917084424249674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 13, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Syrian state media said the attacker exchanged fire with Syrian and coalition guards before being killed. U.S. officials said partner forces engaged and killed the gunman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Ambush During Joint Engagement in Palmyr<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the U.S. personnel were \u201cconducting a key leader engagement\u201d in support of counter-terrorism operations when the ambush took place. A Pentagon official said the attack occurred \u201cin an area where the Syrian president does not have control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. Central Command said the incident was \u201cthe result of an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman.\u201d In contrast, a Pentagon official said initial assessments indicated the attack was \u201clikely\u201d carried out by the Islamic State group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No group has claimed responsibility, and the identity of the attacker has not been publicly released by U.S. authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Conflicting Accounts Over Attacker\u2019s Identity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Syria\u2019s interior ministry said on Sunday that the gunman was a member of the country\u2019s security forces who was due to be dismissed for extremist views. Interior ministry spokesman Noureddine Al Baba said authorities had decided to fire the individual for holding \u201cextremist Islamist ideas\u201d and planned to do so on Sunday, one day after the attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Syrian security official said the attacker had served in the security forces for more than 10 months and had been posted to several cities before being transferred to Palmyra. The official added that 11 members of the general security forces were arrested for questioning following the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/US-Convoy-in-Syria.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"370\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/US-Convoy-in-Syria.jpg?resize=690%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"United States convoy in Syria\" class=\"wp-image-15142\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/US-Convoy-in-Syria.jpg?w=690&amp;ssl=1 690w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/US-Convoy-in-Syria.jpg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>United States convoy in Syria. (Image Credit: U.S. Army Reserve photo by Spc. DeAndre Pierce)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said the attacker was a member of the Syrian security forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. and Syrian authorities said investigations into the attack are continuing. Traffic was temporarily halted on the highway between Deir Ezzor and Damascus, and U.S. aircraft were seen operating over the area as wounded personnel were evacuated to the Al-Tanf base. The Islamic State has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>US Response and Warnings of Retaliation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. President Donald Trump described the incident as \u201can ISIS attack\u201d and said there would be very serious retaliation. \u201cWe will retaliate,\u201d Trump told reporters at the White House. He said the country was mourning \u201cthe loss of the three great American patriots\u201d and added that the wounded service members \u201cseem to be doing pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a social media post, Trump said the attack occurred \u201cin a very dangerous part of Syria,\u201d adding that Syria\u2019s president was \u201cextremely angry and disturbed by this attack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the attacker had been killed and issued a warning in a post on X: \u201cLet 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The savage who perpetrated this attack was killed by partner forces. <br><br>Let it be known, if you target Americans \u2014 anywhere in the world \u2014 you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/P7D9NrWpAL\">https:\/\/t.co\/P7D9NrWpAL<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecWar\/status\/1999882265355227392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 13, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>National Guard Casualties<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Officials said the two U.S. soldiers killed were members of the Iowa National Guard. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said the names would be released after notification of families and confirmed that three additional Guard members were wounded, two of whom were evacuated to a medical facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur hearts are heavy today, and our prayers and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of our soldiers killed in action,\u201d Reynolds said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About 1,800 Iowa Army National Guard soldiers began deploying to the Middle East in late May in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. mission to defeat the Islamic State.<br><br><br><strong>Syrian Condemnation and Security Measures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Syria\u2019s Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shaibani condemned the attack and offered condolences to the families of the victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe extend our condolences to the victims\u2019 families and to the U.S. government and people, and we wish the wounded a speedy recovery,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Syrian authorities said they had issued prior intelligence warnings to allied forces about possible Islamic State activity in the desert region. Interior ministry officials said the U.S.-led coalition did not act on warnings of a possible infiltration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the attack, Syrian authorities launched operations against Islamic State cells across Homs province, where Palmyra is located, state television reported.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/US-Trump-Syria-Sharaa-meeting.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"584\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/US-Trump-Syria-Sharaa-meeting.jpg?resize=1016%2C584&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Syria's President Ahmad al-Sharaa\" class=\"wp-image-32586\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/US-Trump-Syria-Sharaa-meeting.jpg?resize=1024%2C589&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/US-Trump-Syria-Sharaa-meeting.jpg?resize=300%2C173&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/US-Trump-Syria-Sharaa-meeting.jpg?resize=768%2C442&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/US-Trump-Syria-Sharaa-meeting.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Syria&#8217;s President Ahmad al-Sharaa, at the White House in Washington, on November 10, 2025. (Image Credit: Syrian Presidency Press Office)<\/sup><\/em><br><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>US-Syrian Cooperation Against Islamic State<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack condemned what he described as a \u201ccowardly terrorist ambush\u201d targeting a joint patrol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe remain committed to defeating terrorism with our Syrian partners,\u201d he said, adding later that the attack \u201creinforces\u201d the U.S. strategy to enable Syrian partners, with limited U.S. operational support, to dismantle Islamic State networks and prevent their resurgence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last month, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met President Trump at the White House in a visit described by Damascus as marking a new phase in relations. Syria recently joined the US-led international coalition to combat the Islamic State and pledged closer cooperation with Washington. The coalition was formed in 2014 to counter the group\u2019s expansion across Syria and Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Islamic State Presence and U.S. Military Role<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Islamic State seized large areas of Syrian and Iraqi territory in 2014 before being territorially defeated in Syria in 2019 by a US-backed alliance. The United Nations estimates the group still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters across Syria and Iraq, with a presence concentrated in desert regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>US forces have been deployed in Syria since 2015 to support counter-ISIS operations. American troops operate primarily in the Kurdish-controlled northeast and at the Al-Tanf garrison near the border with Jordan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saturday\u2019s ambush is the deadliest attack on U.S. personnel in Syria since a 2019 bombing in Manbij that killed two U.S. service members and two U.S. civilians.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/US-Army-soldiers-CJTF-Operation-Inherent-Resolve.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/US-Army-soldiers-CJTF-Operation-Inherent-Resolve.jpg?resize=1000%2C667&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13653\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/US-Army-soldiers-CJTF-Operation-Inherent-Resolve.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/US-Army-soldiers-CJTF-Operation-Inherent-Resolve.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/US-Army-soldiers-CJTF-Operation-Inherent-Resolve.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/US-Army-soldiers-CJTF-Operation-Inherent-Resolve.jpg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Grayson Burnell, assigned to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, Idaho National Guard, Combined Joint Task Force &#8211; Operation Inherent Resolve, reviews patrol operations with other leaders, Syria, on January 26, 2023. (Image Credit Sgt. Julio Hernandez\/CJTF)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. President Donald Trump vowed retaliation after two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in central Syria on December 13, 2025, in an attack that U.S. officials blamed on the Islamic State militant group. Three other U.S. service members were also wounded in the ambush.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18625,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[44,1,125],"tags":[677,310,434,14,356,15,113,13,11,702,7],"class_list":["post-33128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east","category-news","category-united-states","tag-centcom","tag-counterterrorism","tag-isil","tag-isis","tag-middle-east","tag-militants","tag-security","tag-syria","tag-terrorism","tag-trump","tag-u-s"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/US-soldiers-in-Syria.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-8Ck","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33128"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33139,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33128\/revisions\/33139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}