Two US soldiers and a civilian, also American and serving as an interpreter, were killed this Saturday while carrying out a mission in central Syria, according to US military officials.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated in a post on X that the attack occurred while the soldiers were carrying out a "key operation." He added that three other service members were wounded in the incident. “Their mission was to support ongoing counterterrorism operations in the region,” he said, adding that the soldiers' names, as well as identifying information about their units, would be held until 24 hours after their families were notified. “This attack is currently under active investigation,” he wrote. US Central Command said the attack resulted from an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman in Syria, and that the gunman was engaged and killed. The shooting took place near Palmyra, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA, which said two members of the Syrian security forces were wounded. No further information was available regarding his health status.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the gunman's identity has not been released.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated in a post on you without mercy,” he wrote.

Tom Barrack, US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, condemned the “cowardly terrorist ambush” on a coalition fighting the Islamic State.

Last month, Syria joined the international coalition fighting ISIS,as Damascus improved its relations with Western countries following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad last year, when insurgents seized his seat of power in Damascus.

The United States did not have diplomatic relations with Syria during Assad's rule, but ties have strengthened since the fall of the five-decade-long Assad family regime. Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa made a historic visit to Washington last month, where he met with President Trump.