Two US soldiers, translator killed in ISIS attack in Syria; Trump vows ‘serious retaliation’

New York, Dec 14 (IANS) Two US soldiers and a civilian translator who were a part of the campaign to root out the Islamic State were killed in an attack in Syria by the terrorist group, and President Donald Trump has vowed “very serious retaliation”. 

Trump said in a Truth Social post that three soldiers were also wounded in the attack on Saturday.

In a tumultuous region infested with terrorist groups and civil strife, the attack on US personnel tests the US cooperation with the Syrian government that took power after President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December last year.

It also tests the authority of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government as the alleged attacker was a member of the Damascus government forces, according to a government spokesperson, and Trump acknowledged the area was not under full Damascus control.

The Syrian spokesperson, quoted by Syrian news agency SANA, also said that the US had not heeded warnings about the danger in Palmyra, where the attack took place.

He said the attacker was “neutralised”.

The first casualties in Syria after al-Assad was overthrown, the victims were cadres in US Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) against the terrorist organisation known formally as the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS).

Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell described their mission as “support of ongoing counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations”.

The attack happened “as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement”, he said.

Media reports quoted a Syrian government spokesperson, Noureddine al-Baba, as acknowledging that the terrorist who shot the US personnel was a member of the Syrian government forces.

But SANA reported that he said that the attacker “held no leadership role within Internal Security and was not an escort to the Internal Security Commander”.

SANA quoted him as saying that Damascus had warned the US about a security breach or attack by ISIS, “but these warnings were not taken into consideration”.

He said investigators were examining “the attacker’s digital data to determine whether he had direct organisational ties to ISIS or merely adopted extremist ideology, as well as reviewing his acquaintances and relatives”.

The assailant was already under investigation into whether he held “extremist or takfiri views”, and a decision had been expected on Sunday.

Trump, who has established ties with al-Sharaa, said the attack took place “in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by" his government.

Al-Sharar “is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack”, he added.

A former member of al-Qaeda, who had once been in US custody, al-Sharaa is seen as a reformed leader and was welcomed to the White House by Trump last month to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fight against terrorism.

--IANS

al/dpb