U.S. soldiers killed in Syria ambush, Trump vows retaliation

“This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria. There will be very serious retaliation.”

By World Israel News Staff

Two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed Saturday in eastern Syria during a deadly attack on a joint American and Syrian convoy.

According to the U.S. military, the assault took place while American personnel were conducting what Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell described as a “key leader engagement.” Three additional U.S. service members were wounded in the incident and were later reported to be in stable condition.

U.S. Central Command said the attack was carried out in an ambush by a lone Islamic State gunman, who was subsequently engaged and killed by responding forces. No terror group has formally claimed responsibility, and the identity of the attacker has not been publicly released.

Speaking as he departed the White House on Saturday afternoon, President Donald Trump said the nation was mourning the loss of the two soldiers and the civilian U.S. interpreter. He confirmed that three other troops were wounded but said they are “doing well.”

Trump later addressed the attack in a post on Truth Social, writing: “This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them.” He added: “The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also issued a stark warning after the attack. “Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you,” he wrote on X.

The savage who perpetrated this attack was killed by partner forces.

Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you. https://t.co/P7D9NrWpAL

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) December 13, 2025

While U.S. officials described the incident as an ISIS attack, conflicting reports have emerged from Syrian and regional sources. According to three local officials cited by Reuters, the attacker was a member of Syria’s security forces rather than an active Islamic State operative.

Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine el-Baba told the state-run Al-Ikhbariya television channel that the individual did not hold a leadership role within the security forces. He said that Syrian authorities had already flagged concerns about the man’s extremist views.

“On December 10, an evaluation was issued indicating that this attacker might hold extremist ideas, and a decision regarding him was due to be issued tomorrow, on Sunday,” el-Baba said in his statement to Al-Ikhbariya.

U.S. officials did not confirm any link between the attacker and Syrian security forces.

When asked directly about the reports, a Pentagon official declined to address the claim and instead emphasized that “this attack took place in an area where the Syrian president does not have control.”

The official reiterated that the location of the attack was outside the effective control of the Syrian government.

El-Baba said Syrian authorities had previously warned of a possible Islamic State attack in the region but claimed that “coalition forces did not take the Syrian warnings… into account.”

He added that Syria would continue investigating whether the attacker was formally connected to Islamic State or was acting independently while embracing the group’s extremist ideology.

Ties between Washington and Damascus have shifted dramatically in recent months following the collapse of the Assad family’s five-decade rule. The United States, which maintained no diplomatic relations with Syria under Bashar al-Assad, has since moved to reengage the country’s new leadership.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa made a landmark visit to Washington last month, holding talks with President Trump in what marked the first White House meeting with a Syrian head of state since Syria gained independence from France in 1946.

The visit followed the U.S. decision to lift sanctions imposed during the Assad era and signaled a cautious reset in relations amid continued security challenges in the region.

Ahmed al-SharaaDonald TrumpPete HegsethU.S. SyriaUS Soldiers