1. On December 14, 2025, a gunman attacked and killed two U.S. soldiers, one civilian interpreter, and injured three others in central Syria during counter-terrorism operations in Palmyra.
2. The attack was reported by the U.S. Central Command and Pentagon officials, who also confirmed that the gunman was killed. A Syrian state-run news agency stated that Syrian security forces were also attacked during the incident.
3. President Donald Trump has identified the attack as an ISIS assault on both the U.S. and Syria, vowing retaliation against the Islamic State group. The U.S. maintains troops in Syria to continue counter-terrorism measures even after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad's regime in 2024, with Syria's interim government cooperating with U.S.-led operations against ISIS.