WASHINGTON (AP) — The two Iowa National Guard members killed in a weekend attack that the U.S. military blamed on the Islamic State group in Syria have been identified.
The U.S. Army named them as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds ordered all flags in Iowa to be flown at half-staff in their honor, stating, We are grateful for their service and deeply mourn their loss.
The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, confirmed a civilian interpreter working with the U.S. was also killed, and three other Guard members were wounded, with two in stable condition and one recovering well.
This incident poses a significant test for U.S.-Syria relations following the ousting of Bashar Assad last year while American forces are deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.
The assault took place in the Syrian desert near the ancient city of Palmyra and also injured Syrian security personnel, with the assailant being a recent recruit suspected of IS affiliation.
Al-Baba, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, admitted the incident marked a major security breach but emphasized that there have been many successes by security forces during the past year following Assad's fall.
The incident is under investigation, although military officials have blamed the attack on an IS member. President Donald Trump warned of serious repercussions for the assault, stressing that Syria is allied with U.S. efforts.
