Two American troops and an interpreter were killed in central Syria on Saturday after an alleged member of the Islamic State group opened fire on a joint US-Syrian patrol, officials said.&nbsp;US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the deaths on X after Syria's state media earlier reported that an attack in the city of Palmyra had wounded American and Syrian troops.&nbsp;"An ambush by a lone ISIS gunman" resulted in the deaths and injuries to three additional troops, said CENTCOM, which oversees the US military in the Middle East.&nbsp;"The gunman was engaged and killed," it said.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/taliban-arrest-four-men-for-dressing-up-as-peaky-blinders-characters-taliban-sharia-law-afghan-taliban-islamic-values-extremists-1765647699280">Taliban arrest four men for dressing up as Peaky Blinders characters</a>&nbsp; Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the attack occurred as the soldiers "were conducting a key leader engagement" in support of counter-terrorism operations, while US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said the ambush targeted "a joint US–Syrian government patrol."&nbsp;"The savage who perpetrated this attack was killed by partner forces," US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X.&nbsp;Parnell said the identities of the deceased troops would be withheld until after their families were notified.&nbsp;The incident is the first of its kind reported since Islamist-led forces overthrew longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December last year, and rekindled the country's ties with the United States.&nbsp;A Pentagon official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the attack "took place in an area where the Syrian President does not have control."&nbsp;Syrian state news agency SANA, quoting a security source, earlier reported that several US troops and two Syrian service members had been wounded in the attack.&nbsp;The soldiers were taking part in a "joint field tour" in Palmyra, which was once under the control of the Islamic State (IS) group, SANA reported.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-hamas-commander-raad-saad-killed-in-gaza-strike-says-israel-1765648338645">Top Hamas commander, Raad Saad, killed in Gaza strike, says Israel</a>&nbsp;A Syrian military official who requested anonymity said that the shots were fired "during a meeting between Syrian and American officers" at a Syrian base in Palmyra.&nbsp;A witness, who asked to remain anonymous, said he heard the shots coming from inside the base.&nbsp;According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, which has a wide network of sources inside Syria, the meeting came as part of an "American strategy to strengthen its presence and foothold in the Syrian desert".&nbsp;Helicopters evacuated the wounded to the Al-Tanf base in southern Syria, where American troops are deployed, SANA said.&nbsp;Last month, during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Washington, Damascus formally joined the US-led global coalition against the IS group.&nbsp;US forces are deployed in Syria's Kurdish-controlled northeast as well as at Al-Tanf near the border with Jordan.&nbsp;&nbsp;(Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)&nbsp;

The incident is the first of its kind reported since Islamist-led forces overthrew longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December last year, and rekindled the country's ties with the United States.

Two American troops and an interpreter were killed in central Syria on Saturday after an alleged member of the Islamic State group opened fire on a joint US-Syrian patrol, officials said. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the deaths on X after Syria's state media earlier reported that an attack in the city of Palmyra had wounded American and Syrian troops. "An ambush by a lone ISIS gunman" resulted in the deaths and injuries to three additional troops, said CENTCOM, which oversees the US military in the Middle East. "The gunman was engaged and killed," it said. Also Read: Taliban arrest four men for dressing up as Peaky Blinders characters Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the attack occurred as the soldiers "were conducting a key leader engagement" in support of counter-terrorism operations, while US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said the ambush targeted "a joint US–Syrian government patrol." "The savage who perpetrated this attack was killed by partner forces," US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X. Parnell said the identities of the deceased troops would be withheld until after their families were notified. The incident is the first of its kind reported since Islamist-led forces overthrew longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December last year, and rekindled the country's ties with the United States. A Pentagon official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the attack "took place in an area where the Syrian President does not have control." Syrian state news agency SANA, quoting a security source, earlier reported that several US troops and two Syrian service members had been wounded in the attack. The soldiers were taking part in a "joint field tour" in Palmyra, which was once under the control of the Islamic State (IS) group, SANA reported. Also Read: Top Hamas commander, Raad Saad, killed in Gaza strike, says Israel A Syrian military official who requested anonymity said that the shots were fired "during a meeting between Syrian and American officers" at a Syrian base in Palmyra. A witness, who asked to remain anonymous, said he heard the shots coming from inside the base. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, which has a wide network of sources inside Syria, the meeting came as part of an "American strategy to strengthen its presence and foothold in the Syrian desert". Helicopters evacuated the wounded to the Al-Tanf base in southern Syria, where American troops are deployed, SANA said. Last month, during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Washington, Damascus formally joined the US-led global coalition against the IS group. US forces are deployed in Syria's Kurdish-controlled northeast as well as at Al-Tanf near the border with Jordan. (Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)

The incident is the first of its kind reported since Islamist-led forces overthrew longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December last year, and rekindled the country's ties with the United States.

American troops killed in Islamic State ambush attack in Syria

The US forces killed an individual working in their favour as an undercover agent to gather intelligence on the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. A joint operation launched by the US forces and a local Syrian group was targeted at capturing an extremist working for the Jihadist organisation fatally struck Khaled al Masud in October, who was carrying out spying operations on behalf of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's interim government.&nbsp;As per family and relatives, Al Masud has worked for years passing off information on the Islamic State to Ahamad al-Shara-led insurgent group and later to the interim government headed by al-Shara, as reported by The Associated Press.&nbsp;The killing reflects the complex political and security environment in war-torn Syria, as Washington is leading its effort to fight the remnants of IS along with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-india-visit-indian-firms-source-russian-energy-based-on-evolving-market-dynamics-says-mea-1764943757472">Putin India visit: Indian firms source Russian energy based on evolving market dynamics, says MEA</a>&nbsp;According to the local residents, the raid took place around 3 AM on October 29 in Dumayar, a town east of the Syrian Capital Damascus. The US forces conducted the operation alongside the Syrian Free Army, a group trained by the United States and fought against Former President Bashar al-Assad. The SFA was incorporated by the interim government formed after the ouster of Assad and now reports to the Syrian Defence Ministry.&nbsp;Al-Masoud’s family believes he was targeted due to faulty intelligence from Syrian Free Army members. According to his cousin, Al-Masoud had previously worked with Ahmad al-Sharaa’s insurgent group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, in the northwestern Idlib region before Assad’s fall. &nbsp;Both the United States and Syria refrained from commenting on the death of Al-Masoud, signalling the warming of ties and that no side wants the incident to have a detrimental effect on the relationship. Weeks after the October 19 operation, Al-Sharra visited Washington and announced that Syria would join the US-led coalition against the IS.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-admin-says-europe-faces-civilizational-erasure-pledges-support-to-correct-trajectory-1764948151659">Trump admin says Europe faces ‘civilizational erasure’, pledges US support to ‘correct its trajectory’</a>&nbsp;Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has met US President Donald Trump twice in the recent past, including a meeting between the two in the White House in November. However, before taking over the interim government, Al-Shara had a US bounty on his head. He was a shadowy figure linked to several militant groups and spent years moving through extremist networks&nbsp;

Al-Masoud’s family believes he was targeted due to faulty intelligence from Syrian Free Army members.

The US forces killed an individual working in their favour as an undercover agent to gather intelligence on the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. A joint operation launched by the US forces and a local Syrian group was targeted at capturing an extremist working for the Jihadist organisation fatally struck Khaled al Masud in October, who was carrying out spying operations on behalf of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's interim government. As per family and relatives, Al Masud has worked for years passing off information on the Islamic State to Ahamad al-Shara-led insurgent group and later to the interim government headed by al-Shara, as reported by The Associated Press. The killing reflects the complex political and security environment in war-torn Syria, as Washington is leading its effort to fight the remnants of IS along with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Also Read: Putin India visit: Indian firms source Russian energy based on evolving market dynamics, says MEA According to the local residents, the raid took place around 3 AM on October 29 in Dumayar, a town east of the Syrian Capital Damascus. The US forces conducted the operation alongside the Syrian Free Army, a group trained by the United States and fought against Former President Bashar al-Assad. The SFA was incorporated by the interim government formed after the ouster of Assad and now reports to the Syrian Defence Ministry. Al-Masoud’s family believes he was targeted due to faulty intelligence from Syrian Free Army members. According to his cousin, Al-Masoud had previously worked with Ahmad al-Sharaa’s insurgent group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, in the northwestern Idlib region before Assad’s fall. Both the United States and Syria refrained from commenting on the death of Al-Masoud, signalling the warming of ties and that no side wants the incident to have a detrimental effect on the relationship. Weeks after the October 19 operation, Al-Sharra visited Washington and announced that Syria would join the US-led coalition against the IS. Also Read: Trump admin says Europe faces ‘civilizational erasure’, pledges US support to ‘correct its trajectory’ Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has met US President Donald Trump twice in the recent past, including a meeting between the two in the White House in November. However, before taking over the interim government, Al-Shara had a US bounty on his head. He was a shadowy figure linked to several militant groups and spent years moving through extremist networks

Al-Masoud’s family believes he was targeted due to faulty intelligence from Syrian Free Army members.

US raid aimed at Islamic State member allegedly killed Syrian undercover agent

The world witnessed the stunning ascendency of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa when he was welcomed by US President Donald Trump in the White House this week. Sharaa, whose rebel forces Bashar al-Assad from Syria last year, was the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since 1946. From a former member of al-Qaeda to being the head of a terror outfit affiliated to al-Qaeda to being the president of Syria and standing alongside Trump - world has seen the spectacular arc of Sharaa - formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani.&nbsp;However, as the US embraced the former al-Qaeda terrorist, a 2017 post on the X handle of US Embassy in Syria still 'WANTED' him and was ready to pay $10 million for information on him. The US State Department at that time was listed Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) among Al-Qaida’s top operatives in Syria and had designated it as terrorist organisation. Sharaa was designated as terrorist.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20251113/image-1763019887189.png"></figure><h2>From al-Qaeda terrorist to Trump's tough guy'</h2>While Trump's MAGA base opposed his visit and criticised Trump for hosting the former jihadist, the Trump administration removed him from terrorism list. In return, Syria joined the global coalition against the Islamic State group. Born in 1982 in Riyadh to Syrian parents originally from the Golan Heights, Ahmed al-Sharaa became involved in jihadist movements during the early 2000s and joined al-Qaeda in Iraq amid the chaos of the US invasion. He was captured by American forces in 2006. After spending five years in detention, he returned to Syria in the aftermath of Arab Spring in 2010-2011. Later, when the civil war broke out in Syria, Jolani founded the al-Nusra Front, and played a major role in the Syrian civil war. However, by 2016, al-Sharaa publicly broke away from al-Qaeda, rebranding his organisation as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stating that his focus is on fixing Syria and focus on Syrian agenda. Not only his organisation, Jolani also rebranded himself as Ahmed al-Sharaa and by 2024, he became the reason for the fall of Bashar al-Assad.&nbsp;Now, in what may undoubtedly be dramatic scenes for many, Trump was seen laughing, joking and shaking hands with once-wanted terrorist. In a light-hearted exchange, Trump is seen presenting Al-Sharaa with a bottle of perfume, spraying it on him and saying, "It's the best fragrance... And the other one is for your wife." Turning playful, he then asks, "How many wives?" When Al-Sharaa replies, "one," laughter follows. Trump quips back, "You never know!" According to Syria, Sharaa and Trump discussed the bilateral relationship, “the ways to strengthen and develop it, as well as a number of regional and international issues of common interest.” The Syrian leader was also seen with Vice President JD Vance, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and top US military officer Dan Caine.&nbsp;

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, once known as al-Qaeda commander Abu Mohammad al-Julani, met US President Donald Trump at the White House. Once on America’s wanted list, Sharaa was delisted after Syria joined the anti-ISIS coalition, marking a dramatic diplomatic turnaround.

The world witnessed the stunning ascendency of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa when he was welcomed by US President Donald Trump in the White House this week. Sharaa, whose rebel forces Bashar al-Assad from Syria last year, was the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since 1946. From a former member of al-Qaeda to being the head of a terror outfit affiliated to al-Qaeda to being the president of Syria and standing alongside Trump - world has seen the spectacular arc of Sharaa - formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani. However, as the US embraced the former al-Qaeda terrorist, a 2017 post on the X handle of US Embassy in Syria still 'WANTED' him and was ready to pay $10 million for information on him. The US State Department at that time was listed Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) among Al-Qaida’s top operatives in Syria and had designated it as terrorist organisation. Sharaa was designated as terrorist. From al-Qaeda terrorist to Trump's tough guy' While Trump's MAGA base opposed his visit and criticised Trump for hosting the former jihadist, the Trump administration removed him from terrorism list. In return, Syria joined the global coalition against the Islamic State group. Born in 1982 in Riyadh to Syrian parents originally from the Golan Heights, Ahmed al-Sharaa became involved in jihadist movements during the early 2000s and joined al-Qaeda in Iraq amid the chaos of the US invasion. He was captured by American forces in 2006. After spending five years in detention, he returned to Syria in the aftermath of Arab Spring in 2010-2011. Later, when the civil war broke out in Syria, Jolani founded the al-Nusra Front, and played a major role in the Syrian civil war. However, by 2016, al-Sharaa publicly broke away from al-Qaeda, rebranding his organisation as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stating that his focus is on fixing Syria and focus on Syrian agenda. Not only his organisation, Jolani also rebranded himself as Ahmed al-Sharaa and by 2024, he became the reason for the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Now, in what may undoubtedly be dramatic scenes for many, Trump was seen laughing, joking and shaking hands with once-wanted terrorist. In a light-hearted exchange, Trump is seen presenting Al-Sharaa with a bottle of perfume, spraying it on him and saying, "It's the best fragrance... And the other one is for your wife." Turning playful, he then asks, "How many wives?" When Al-Sharaa replies, "one," laughter follows. Trump quips back, "You never know!" According to Syria, Sharaa and Trump discussed the bilateral relationship, “the ways to strengthen and develop it, as well as a number of regional and international issues of common interest.” The Syrian leader was also seen with Vice President JD Vance, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and top US military officer Dan Caine.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, once known as al-Qaeda commander Abu Mohammad al-Julani, met US President Donald Trump at the White House. Once on America’s wanted list, Sharaa was delisted after Syria joined the anti-ISIS coalition, marking a dramatic diplomatic turnaround

Trump jokes, laughs with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at White House but US embassy wants to 'STOP THIS TERRORIST'

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American troops killed in Islamic State ambush attack in Syria

US raid aimed at Islamic State member allegedly killed Syrian undercover agent

Trump jokes, laughs with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa but US embassy says...