2 US service members and one American civilian killed in ambush in Syria, US Central Command says

DAMASCUS, Syria -- Two U.S. work members and 1 American civilian were killed and 3 different radical wounded successful an ambush connected Saturday by a lone subordinate of the Islamic State radical successful cardinal Syria, the the U.S. military's Central Command said.

The onslaught connected U.S. troops successful Syria is the archetypal to inflict casualties since the autumn of President Bashar Assad a twelvemonth ago.

Central Command said successful a station connected X that arsenic a substance of respect for the families and successful accordance with Department of Defense policy, the identities of the work members volition beryllium withheld until 24 hours aft their adjacent of kin person been notified.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted connected X: "Let it beryllium known, if you people Americans - anyplace successful the satellite - you volition walk the remainder of your brief, anxious beingness knowing the United States volition hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly termination you."

The shooting took spot adjacent historical Palmyra, according to the state-run SANA quality agency, which earlier said 2 members of Syria's information unit and respective U.S. work members had been wounded. The casualties were taken by chopper to the al-Tanf garrison adjacent the borderline with Iraq and Jordan.

SANA said the attacker was killed, without providing further details.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attacker was a subordinate of the Syrian information force.

The U.S. has hundreds of troops deployed successful eastbound Syria arsenic portion of a conjugation warring the Islamic State group.

Last month, Syria joined the planetary conjugation warring against the IS arsenic Damascus improves its relations with Western countries pursuing the ouster of Assad erstwhile insurgents captured his spot of powerfulness successful Damascus.

The U.S. had nary diplomatic relations with Syria nether Assad, but ties person warmed since the autumn of the five-decade Assad household rule. The interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, made a historical sojourn to Washington past period wherever helium held talks with President Donald Trump.

IS was defeated connected the battlefield successful Syria successful 2019 but the group's sleeper cells inactive transportation retired deadly attacks successful the country. The United Nations says the radical inactive has betwixt 5,000 and 7,000 fighters successful Syria and Iraq.

U.S. troops, which person maintained a beingness successful antithetic parts of Syria - including Al-Tanf garrison successful the cardinal state of Homs - to bid different forces arsenic portion of a wide run against IS, person been targeted successful the past. One of the deadliest attacks occurred successful 2019 successful the bluish municipality of Manbij erstwhile a blast killed 2 U.S. work members and 2 American civilians arsenic good arsenic others from Syria portion conducting a patrol.

Mroue reported from Beirut.