Washington [US], December 14: US President Donald Trump has vowed to retaliate "very severely" after a member of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group ambushed and killed two US soldiers and an interpreter in Syria.
Two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in central Syria on December 13 after a member believed to be from the Islamic State (IS) group opened fire on a joint US-Syrian patrol, according to AFP, citing US officials.
"We mourn the loss of three patriotic Americans in Syria," U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social, while also declaring he would "retaliate very severely."
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the attack occurred in the city of Palmyra, which contains UNESCO-recognized ancient ruins and was once controlled by IS.
This deadly attack was "an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman," who was "intercepted and killed," the U.S. Central Command said on social media.
Trump called it "an ISIS attack on the United States and Syria, in a very dangerous area of Syria where they don't have full control."
Three other American soldiers injured in the incident are recovering well, Trump said.
This deadly attack was "an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman," who was "intercepted and killed," the U.S. Central Command said on social media.
Trump called it "an ISIS attack on the United States and Syria, in a very dangerous area of Syria where they don't have full control."
Three other American soldiers injured in the incident are recovering well, Trump said.
According to Parnell, the soldiers "were holding a meeting with key leaders" to support counterterrorism operations when the attack occurred. U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said the ambush targeted "a joint U.S. and Syrian government patrol."
Trump said Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who visited the White House last month, was "extremely angry and concerned about this attack.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated that Damascus "strongly condemns the terrorist attack targeting a joint Syrian-American counter-terrorism patrol near Palmyra."
ISIS controlled large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq in 2014, before being defeated in the latter country five years later. However, ISIS members still maintain a presence, particularly in the vast Syrian desert.
US forces are deployed in the Kurdish-controlled northeastern region of Syria , as well as in the Al-Tanf area near the border with Jordan.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
