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The American troops who were killed and wounded in Saturday’s ambush attack in Syria were members of the Iowa National Guarda senior US official told Fox News.
An ISIS gunman opened fire with an automatic weapon in the central Syrian city of Palmyra, killing two Iowa National Guard soldiers and an American civilian translator, the official said.
Three additional US soldiers were wounded in the attack.
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US forces patrol in the northeastern city of Qamishli in Hasakeh province, January 9. (Dilil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images)
Preliminary information suggests that the attacker was once affiliated with the Syrian government forces and had been a low-level member of the Syrian Security Forces, before later becoming connected to ISIS, the official said.
“He was not part of the official delegation that was escorted by the American and Syrian troops“, the official said. “… This would not be considered a ‘green on blue’ incident because the Syrian gunman was not part of the US/Syrian delegation.
President Donald Trump attends the 126th Army-Navy Game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen, Saturday, in Baltimore. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Earlier Saturday, US Central Command confirmed that the dead and wounded were a “result of an ambush by a a lone ISIS gunman in Syria”.
President Donald Trump warned that there would be “very serious retaliation” after the ambush.
“We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and a Civilian Interpreter. Similarly, we pray for the three wounded soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well,” wrote Trump in Social Truth.
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US Army soldiers in northeastern Syria. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Trump added: “This was an ISIS attack against the United States and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, which is not completely controlled by them.”
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Last month, two members of the West Virginia National Guard were ambushed and shot near the White House in Washington, DC, in a targeted attack that left one soldier dead.
Greg Norman of Fox News contributed to this report.
