A joint patrol of Syrian security forces and US troops came under gunfire near the historic city of Palmyra in central Syria on Saturday, leaving several personnel wounded, Syrian state media reported. According to SANA, two members of the Syrian security forces and multiple US personnel sustained injuries in the attack, while the unidentified assailant was killed at the scene.
The wounded US troops were airlifted to the American military base in Al-Tanf, a strategically significant outpost near the tri-border area with Iraq and Jordan. The report did not provide further details on the circumstances of the attack or the identity of the perpetrator.
In the aftermath, authorities temporarily halted traffic on the Deir al-Zour–Damascus highway as precautionary measures. Heightened aerial activity was also observed in the region, indicating increased security operations following the incident. The United States has not yet issued an official statement regarding the attack.
Fewer than 1,000 US troops remain stationed in Syria as part of Washington’s mission to support local partners in countering Islamic State militants.
The attack comes amid political shifts within Syria. Earlier in the week, interim Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa outlined his roadmap for governance on the first anniversary of what authorities refer to as the country’s “liberation,” culminating in the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s government. Addressing officials and citizens at the Conference Palace in Damascus, al-Sharaa called for the construction of a “new Syria” built on justice, national unity, coexistence and regional engagement.
He stressed that the current phase demands a transition from political upheaval to the rebuilding of state institutions. The interim authorities, he said, had visited multiple provinces to gather input and shape a comprehensive vision for improving governance and public services — marking what he described as a “historic break” from the past.
