Two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter have been killed in Syria in an ambush by an Islamic State (IS) gunman, the US Central Command (Centcom) has said.

Officials reported that three other service members were injured during the attack, in which the gunman was subsequently engaged and killed. The Syrian state news agency indicated that two Syrian service personnel were also injured in this incident.

US President Donald Trump referred to the ambush as an ISIS attack in a social media post and indicated that there would be a very serious retaliation in response. The Syrian government has also condemned the attack.

The identities of the deceased will be withheld until their next of kin have been informed, as per Centcom’s announcement.

In a communication on X, Centcom clarified that the ambush was executed by a lone ISIS gunman. A Pentagon official indicated that initial assessments attributed the attack to the Islamic State group.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that the assailant was associated with the Syrian security forces. Though no group has claimed responsibility, the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

This ambush took place in Palmyra while the U.S. soldiers were engaged in key leadership engagement activities, as stated by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. Further, it was noted that the location of the attack falls under an area lacking control by the Syrian president.

Trump later assured that the three injured soldiers were recovering well. This attack marks a continuation of hostilities in Syria, where US forces have been operating since 2015 to train local forces as part of the broader campaign against IS.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a stark warning that anyone targeting Americans worldwide will face relentless pursuit from the U.S. military.

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani condemned the attack and extended condolences to the families of the victims, stating the country's commitment to cooperating with the US in the fight against terrorism alongside its recent coalition with the US for defeating IS.

Despite significant losses in territory suffered by IS, the UN estimates that there remains a force of 5,000 to 7,000 fighters operational in Syria and Iraq.