Gunman kills three Americans in Syria; Trump promises retaliation

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Two members of the U.S. Army and a civilian interpreter were killed, with three other Americans and two Syrians injured, in a shooting by a lone gunman Saturday in Syria.

The gunman, believed to have been a member of ISIS, was "engaged and killed," halting the ambush, U.S. Central Command confirmed in a post on X.

Central Command said the gunman was killed and the identities of the two soldiers and interpreter will not be released until 24 hours after their respective next of kin have been notified of their deaths, The Hill reported.

President Donald Trump said the three wounded U.S. soldiers "are doing well" and promised to retaliate against ISIS.

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"We mourn the loss of three great American patriots in Syria," Trump said in a Truth Social post.

"This was an ISIS attack against the U.S. and Syria in a very dangerous part of Syria that is not fully controlled by them," the president said.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa "is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack," Trump added. "There will be very serious retaliation."

He did not say whether Syrian or U.S. forces, or both, would carry out the retaliation.

"The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said separately in a post on X.

"Their mission was in support of ongoing counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations in the region," Parnell said. "This attack is currently under active investigation."

U.S. and Syrian forces in the central Syrian city of Palmyra came under fire from the gunman, killing two Army soldiers and an American interpreter, in addition to five others -- three Americans and two Syrians -- being shot.

U.S. helicopters were dispatched to evacuate the five injured to the al-Tanf base for treatment after the shooting, Syria's official news agency reported.

"The savage who perpetrated this attack was killed by partner forces," Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a post on X. "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."

The American deaths are the first since former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was dispatched from power last year, the New York Times reported, noting that the United States has been reducing its forces there since his departure.

ISIS captured Palmyra in 2015, holding it for about 10 months, but by 2018, the group was left with no territory, but has continued to carry out attacks, according to Al-Jazeera.