An American military convoy drives along a road in Hassakeh province, northeastern Syria, January 30, 2025. BERNAT ARMANGUE / AP
The infiltration of radical elements, particularly from the Islamic State group (IS), into the newly established Syrian security forces has posed a significant challenge to anti-terrorism cooperation between the US-led international coalition against IS and the authorities in Damascus. On Saturday, December 13, a man affiliated with IS entered a meeting between members of the international coalition and officers from the Badiya Desert Security Command in Palmyra, Homs province, central Syria. He opened fire, killing two American soldiers and an American civilian interpreter, the Syrian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Three other American soldiers were wounded in the attack, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM) for the Middle East, and were evacuated to the Al-Tanf base in the south of the country, where US troops are stationed. The official Syrian news agency Sana reported that "two members of the Syrian security forces" were also injured in the shooting. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the assailant was shot dead by "partner forces."
