IS stops short of formally claiming responsibility (File pic) - December 19, 2025
Islamic State has broken its silence on the deadly attack in Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra, portraying the killings of U.S. military personnel as a symbolic strike against Washington and its local allies
THE Islamic State (IS) group has described the killing of US Pentagon personnel in Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra as a “blow” to American forces and Syrian armed factions opposing it, marking the group’s first public comment on the incident.
Reuters cited on Friday that two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday when an attacker targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces in Palmyra before being shot dead, according to the U.S. military.
Three other U.S. soldiers were wounded in the attack.
In an article published on its Telegram channel on Thursday, Islamic State accused the United States and its Syrian-based partners of forming a unified front against the group.
Using religious and ideological language, it framed the assault as a decisive moment intended to dispel doubt among its supporters, though it did not explicitly claim responsibility for the attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump condemned the incident as “terrible” and vowed retaliation.
Syria’s Interior Ministry said on Sunday that five people suspected of links to the shooting had been arrested. It described the attacker as a member of the Syrian security forces who was suspected of sympathising with Islamic State.
The ministry said security units in Palmyra carried out the arrests in coordination with international coalition forces.
Syria has been cooperating with a US-led coalition in the fight against Islamic State.
The United States maintains troops in northeastern Syria as part of a decade-long campaign against the group, which at its peak controlled large swathes of Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2019. - December 19, 2025
Islamic State, Syria, Palmyra, United States, Pentagon, terrorism, Middle East, security
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