A deadly attack in the heart of Syria on Saturday morning resulted in the loss of a pair of American troops and a US civilian translator, with several other people injured, according to the Pentagon.
The assault on US troops in the ancient town of Tadmur represents the initial incident to cause fatalities following the ouster of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad approximately a year ago.
"This assault took place while the service members were conducting a key leader engagement," a Pentagon spokesperson said. "The operation was in aid of ongoing counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region."
The assailant responsible for the shooting was eliminated by allied troops, according to a declaration from the Secretary of Defense.
Specifics Kept Private For Privacy
Central Command noted that, as a matter of respect for the families and in line with standard procedure, the names of the fallen service members will not be released until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.
Earlier reports from Syrian state media and a war monitor said that gunfire erupted during a tour by US soldiers to the area of Palmyra.
Conflicting Reports Surface
According to a government media outlet, a pair of Syria's security force and several US personnel were wounded in the incident. The injured were allegedly evacuated by helicopters to a garrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan.
An official for Syria's interior ministry claimed a gunman affiliated with ISIS began shooting at the entrance of a army position. Authorities are looking into whether the assailant was a formal member of the organization or merely espoused its radical beliefs.
The official also denied a claim from a Britain-based monitoring group that the gunman was a security member.
Continued American Deployment in the Region
The United States maintains a military presence deployed in Syria's east as part of a multinational alliance fighting the Islamic State.
Despite being declared defeated in Syria in recent years, the organization's dormant networks continue to execute lethal strikes. UN assessments suggest the faction retains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
American forces have previously been attacked in the before. One of the most severe prior incidents occurred in that year in northern Syria, when an blast killed American soldiers and US civilians, among additional casualties.
