--- title: "Two US soldiers killed in ambush in Syria" description: "An ISIS gunman attacked an American delegation in Palmyra, Syria, killing the soldiers and an American interpreter and leaving more injured." date: "2025-12-13" modified: "2025-12-13" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton.md" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/two-us-soldiers-killed-syria/" categories: - "Army" - "Around the World" - "Middle East" - "Military Branches" - "News" tags: - "adsafety" --- # Two US soldiers killed in ambush in Syria ![Troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Special Operations and the US-led anti-jihadist coalition, take part in heavy-weaponry military exercises in the countryside of Deir Ezzor in northeastern Syria, on March 25, 2022. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)]() *American and Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces train in Deir-Ezzor, Syria in March 2022. AFP photo by Delil Souleiman via Getty Images.* A gunman from the Islamic State attacked an American delegation in Palmyra, Syria, killing two U.S. Army soldiers and an American civilian interpreter today, leaving several people injured. Three other American service members were injured in the attack, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. A single member of ISIS attacked the American delegation while it was in Palmyra for a “key leader engagement,” according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell in a [statement on X](). Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth [said]() that the gunman was killed by “partner forces.” As per Department of Defense policy, the Pentagon is not identifying or releasing the names of those killed until 24 hours after their next of kin are informed. Syrian state media and a monitoring group first reported on the [attack](), noting that several American forces were wounded, along with at least three members of the Syrian military. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group tracking the Syrian Civil War and other conflicts in the country, an American delegation was in Palmyra both to tour the historic Roman ruins there and to meet with Syrian military officials as part of the ongoing fight against ISIS. ![]() *NurPhoto photo by Rami Alsayedvia via Getty Images.* Syrian and American forces shut down highways in the area following the attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights [reported](), and American planes were scrambled for low-altitude flights over the area. The United States currently has hundreds of troops inside Syria. As part of a shift in strategy it has been working to shrink its footprint, with the goal of reducing the force from 2,000 to 1,000. As part of that plan, it has also begun handing over some bases to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, a long-time partner in the country. This fall American forces have been conducting joint raids with Syrian security forces on ISIS cells and facilities, including destroying multiple weapons caches last month. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has noted an uptick in ISIS attacks inside Syria in recent weeks. *This is a developing story.* ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()