🔗 Share this article A Trio of Americans Fatally Wounded in Syria by Suspected ISIS Gunman, US Defense Department Says A fatal attack in central Syria on Saturday resulted in the loss of two US army soldiers and a US civilian translator, with a number of others injured, according to the US Department of Defense. The assault on US troops in the historic city of Tadmur marks the initial incident to inflict casualties following the ouster of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad approximately a year ago. "This assault took place while the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement," an official stated. "The operation was in aid of on-going counter-ISIS / anti-terror missions in the region." The attacker behind the shooting was killed by allied troops, according to a declaration from the Secretary of Defense. Details Withheld Out of Respect US CENTCOM indicated that, to respect the privacy for the families and in line with standard procedure, the names of the fallen service members will be withheld until a full day after their families have been informed. Earlier reports from Syrian state media and a conflict observatory stated that gunfire rang out during a visit by US soldiers to the area of Tadmur. Conflicting Reports Emerge Per a state-run media outlet, two members of Syria's security force and a number of US personnel were wounded in the incident. The injured were reportedly transported by aircraft to a garrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan. An official for Syria's interior ministry said a shooter linked to Islamic State opened fire at the gate of a military post. Authorities are investigating whether the individual was a formal member of the organization or merely adhered to its extreme ideology. The official also denied a report from a Britain-based rights group that the attacker was a security member. Ongoing American Deployment in Syria The United States currently has hundreds of troops stationed in eastern Syria as a component of a multinational alliance combating the Islamic State. Despite being militarily routed in the country in 2019, the organization's dormant networks still execute lethal strikes. United Nations estimates suggest the faction still has thousands of fighters in both Syria and Iraq. American forces have been targeted in the past. Among the most severe previous attacks took place in 2019 in northern Syria, when an explosion claimed the lives of American soldiers and US civilians, among others.