Three Americans killed in Syria

Two US soldiers and an interpreter were killed in an apparent ambush by a gunman from the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, according to the BBC on December 13th.

According to officials, three other service members were injured, while two Syrian servicemen were also reported as having been injured.

It has been confirmed that the American soldiers were identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29. The name of the interpreter has not been released.

There was some confusion regarding the identity of the attacker as the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the attacker was a member of the Syrian security force. US President Donald Trump wrote on X that the ambush was “an ISIS attack” against the US and Syria.

Just last month Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met President Trump at the White House to reaffirm military cooperation between the two nations. Syria has also joined an international coalition to counter a resurgence in IS activity. Although it was announced in 2019 that the IS had lost control of its last patch of territory in Syria, there have concerns that the group has been taking advantage of the fallout from Bashar al-Assad’s ouster last December to retake control of parts of western Syria.

The United Nations has estimated that IS has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both Syria and in Iraq. Fears over a resurgence of the Islamic State has been one of numerous challenges facing Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government. Clashes between the new government, remnants of the Assad-era as well as ethnic and religious-aligned militias, have continued. Activity from Israel along the disputed Golan Heights has only served to place more pressure upon al-Sharaa to execute authority and order.

BBC, Maghrebi.org