Washington, DC – December 14, 2025 : U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday vowed “very serious retaliation” after an ISIS-linked gunman ambushed a joint U.S.–Syrian security patrol in Palmyra, Syria, killing three Americans and wounding several others, marking the deadliest attack on U.S. personnel in the country in years.
The attack occurred on December 13, 2025, when a lone assailant affiliated with the Islamic State opened fire on a patrol conducting counterterrorism operations in the historic central Syrian city. The victims included two U.S. Army service members and one civilian interpreter, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Three additional U.S. service members were wounded and are reported to be in stable condition, while at least two Syrian security personnel were also injured.
CENTCOM said the attacker was “engaged and killed” immediately by partner forces at the scene. The wounded Americans were evacuated by helicopter to the U.S. military base at al-Tanf in southeastern Syria.
Speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for the Army–Navy football game in Baltimore, President Trump described the assault as “an ISIS attack against the U.S. and Syria” in a region “not fully controlled” by Syrian authorities.
“This is an ISIS attack,” Trump said. “We will retaliate.”
He later reinforced the message on Truth Social, writing:
“There will be very serious retaliation.”
Trump also said Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed” by the incident and described him as “devastated” by the loss of life.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the president’s warning, stating that any attack on U.S. forces would bring severe consequences. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the patrol was engaged in a “key leader engagement” supporting ongoing counter-ISIS operations.
The attack marks the first U.S. fatalities in Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, following a rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Syria formally joined the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition last month, and President al-Sharaa made a historic visit to Washington in November 2025, becoming the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since 1946.
Improved U.S.–Syrian relations have enabled joint patrols and intelligence cooperation against ISIS remnants. While the terror group lost territorial control in 2019, intelligence estimates suggest 1,500 to 7,000 ISIS fighters remain active in sleeper cells across Syria and Iraq.
Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din al-Baba said the gunman was influenced by ISIS ideology, though investigations are ongoing to confirm formal membership. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani strongly condemned the attack.
In a show of force following the incident, U.S. Air Force F-16 and A-10 aircraft conducted low-altitude flights over Palmyra, with videos released by the Pentagon showing defensive flare deployments.
Analysts say the attack highlights the persistent threat posed by ISIS during Syria’s fragile post-Assad transition and could test the emerging U.S.–Syrian security partnership, while reinforcing Trump’s hard-line stance on terrorism abroad.
As of December 14, 2025, no group has formally claimed responsibility, and the identities of the deceased Americans have not been released pending notification of their families.
