Two U.S. soldiers and translator killed by Islamic State gunmen in Syria, U.S. military says

Two American soldiers and an American civilian translator were killed in an ambush by an Islamic State gunman in Syria, the U.S. military said.

Three other troops were injured in the attack, in which the gunman “engaged and was killed,” officials said.

U.S. Central Command said the identities of the victims will be withheld for 24 hours until next of kin are notified.

“Let it be known that if you target Americans – anywhere in the world, you will spend the rest of your short and anxious life knowing that the United States will hunt you down, find you and kill you mercilessly,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the ambush occurred in Palmyra, in the center of the country.

“This attack occurred in an area beyond the control of the Syrian president,” a Pentagon official said.

They added that initial assessments suggested the attack was likely the work of the Islamic State group.

Syria recently joined the international coalition fighting the Islamic State and pledged to cooperate with the United States.

President Ahmed Sala met with Donald Trump at the White House last month, a visit the Syrian leader described as part of a “new era” between the two countries.

The global coalition aims to eliminate the remnants of the so-called Islamic State and stem the flow of foreign fighters into the Middle East.