U.S. Secretary of War Hegseth Vows Retaliation After ISIS Ambush Kills Three Americans in Syria

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Two U.S. service members and one civilian interpreter were killed, and three additional U.S. service members were wounded, in an ISIS ambush near Palmyra, Syria, U.S. officials confirmed. The attack targeted a joint U.S.–Syrian government patrol engaged in key counterterrorism operations in the region.

In a post on X, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth condemned the attack, stating: “The savage who perpetrated this attack was killed by partner forces. Let 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.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on X that the lone gunman was engaged and killed. The identities of the fallen personnel and details about their units are being withheld until 24 hours after next-of-kin notifications, in accordance with U.S. Department of War policy.

CENTCOM said the incident remains under active investigation and updates will be provided as they become available.

Tom Barrack, U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria, also expressed his condemnation of the ambush, calling it a “cowardly terrorist attack.”

Barrack said: “We mourn the loss of three brave U.S. service members and civilian personnel and wish a speedy recovery to the Syrian troops wounded in the attack. We remain committed to defeating terrorism with our Syrian partners.”

Republican U.S. Representative Joe Wilson also weighed in on the attack, writing on his official X account that he joined the U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye in condemning what he described as a “cowardly attack on U.S. and Syrian forces trying to restore peace after decades of brutality.” Wilson said his prayers were with the families of the fallen, thanking U.S. service members for their sacrifice, and warned that “those standing in the way of peace will fail.”

Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesman, provided further context, noting that the U.S. soldiers were on a key leader engagement mission in support of ongoing counter-ISIS and counterterrorism operations in Syria.

According to Syrian state media, the shooting occurred while the joint patrol was conducting a field tour. Initial reports indicated that two Syrian security personnel and several American soldiers were wounded. Flight operations intensified in the area, and the international highway linking Deir Ezzor and Damascus was temporarily closed, with injured personnel evacuated by U.S. helicopters to the Al-Tanf military base in eastern Syria.

Subsequent announcements by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) provided a more detailed account, confirming that three U.S. personnel—two service members and one civilian—were killed, while three others sustained injuries.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) initially reported that three members of the Syrian interim government-aligned security forces were critically injured, alongside several American personnel, some with severe injuries.

Following the incident, Syrian and American forces temporarily blocked the Deir Ezzor–Damascus road and enforced heightened security measures. The U.S. delegation departed the area rapidly under emergency protection, heading toward Al-Tanf.

The ambush comes amid persistent security challenges in central and eastern Syria, where ISIS sleeper cells continue to pose a threat despite territorial defeats, highlighting the ongoing risks faced by U.S. and allied personnel operating in volatile regions, and underscoring the importance of continued counterterrorism coordination with local partners.