Two United States service members and an American civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday during an ambush by a lone Islamic State gunman in central Syria. 

The attack, which left three other American service members wounded, occurred near the historic city of Palmyra.

U.S. Central Command confirmed the casualties in a statement, noting that the attacker was “neutralized” during the engagement.

“Two US service members and one US civilian were killed, and three service members were injured, as a result of an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman in Syria,” CENTCOM said.

The identities of the victims were being withheld for 24 hours to allow their next of kin to be notified. The civilian victim has been identified as an interpreter working alongside the troops.

President Trump pledged that America “will retaliate” for the ambush. 

“This was an ISIS attack on us and Syria. We mourn the loss and we pray for them and the parents and their loved ones.” Mr. Trump said as he left the White House to attend the Army-Navy football game.

“We mourn the loss of three great patriots in Syria. We know how it happened. It was an ambush — terrible.” He added that the three wounded service members “seem to be doing pretty well.”

Mr. Trump took care to distance the president of Syria from the attack, saying the former extremist leader who seized power last year is “fighting along with us” and was devastated by what happened.

“The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation,” the president said.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also issued a strong response on social media platform X following 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,” Mr. Hegseth wrote.

The Pentagon said the attack occurred “as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement … in support of ongoing counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations in the region.”

The wounded were evacuated by helicopter to the Al-Tanf garrison, an American base located near the Syrian border with Iraq and Jordan.

The incident marks the first American casualties in Syria since the fall of President Bashar Assad a year ago. Since then, diplomatic ties have improved between America and the interim Syrian government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who recently visited Washington.

Despite being defeated on the battlefield in 2019, the Islamic State remains a persistent threat in the region. The United Nations estimates that the terror group retains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters across Syria and Iraq, operating largely through sleeper cells.