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Attack on US forces in Syria tests anti-ISIS mission and warming ties

Just weeks after Syria joined the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition, a deadly attack on American forces in the ancient city of Palmyra has exposed gaps in Damascus鈥� vetting of its personnel as it works to rebuild its security apparatus and court the United States.

The attack, which local reports said was by a member of Syria鈥檚 security forces, killed two American soldiers and a civilian translator meeting with Syrian personnel, and underscored the persistence of jihadist ideology among former rebels now serving in the army.

鈥淵ou are the enemies of God,鈥� the assailant said before shooting, according to local accounts.

Analysts said the attack reflected vulnerabilities created by the rapid expansion of Syrian security forces and assessed it as an unsuccessful attempt by the Islamic State (ISIS)聽to derail warming ties between Washington and Damascus.

A Syrian official said checks would be carried out to establish whether the attacker had a direct organizational link to ISIS or whether he just held its ideas. A subsequent statement from the Interior Ministry merely said an ISIS member infiltrated a meeting of Syrian-U.S. forces.

鈥淚t was a member of security forces that shot鈥� the Americans, says a Palmyra-based Syrian who formerly served in the anti-ISIS coalition and asked to withhold his name. 鈥淭here would be no one else who could get in. I know them. Many of these guys have an ISIS mindset 鈥� against the Jews, against Americans. That kind of rhetoric.鈥�

Delicate timing

It was the first attack on U.S. personnel in Syria to cause casualties since the fall of Bashar al-Assad鈥檚 government in December 2024. It was also the first deadly incident involving U.S. forces there since a 2019 suicide bombing in Manbij in northern Syria.

The assault occurred as U.S. soldiers were in Palmyra to support ongoing counter-ISIS operations, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said. 鈥淧artner forces鈥� killed the attacker, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

President Donald Trump framed the incident as an attack against both the U.S. and Syria, noting it took place in 鈥渁 very dangerous part of Syria that is not fully controlled by [the government],鈥� and warning that a 鈥渧ery serious retaliation鈥� would follow.

The attack came at a delicate time in U.S.-Syrian relations. President Trump, who has spoken of a prosperous future for Syria, has praised and recently hosted Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former rebel leader who toppled the Assad regime and has sought to distance himself from his jihadist past.

Disrupting the growing cooperation between Washington and Damascus is a critical objective for ISIS, which was militarily defeated in Syria in 2019 but continues to carry out low-level insurgent and terrorist operations.

鈥淚t should come as no surprise that ISIS has attempted to infiltrate the government forces and then use the infiltrators to attack and kill U.S. service members in order to drive a wedge between Washington and Damascus,鈥� says Brian Carter, research manager and analyst at the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute.

鈥淭his attack will have a very limited impact on the U.S.-Syria relationship. The Trump administration is already exclusively blaming ISIS and emphasizing the importance of the partnership with the Syrian government,鈥� he says.

ISIS refuge in a desolate region

A poorly paved highway connects Damascus to Palmyra, famous for its monumental ruins dating back to the second millennium B.C. The desolate steppe landscape between the capital and Palmyra is cut off from phone networks and riddled with mines.

The Badia region, which stretches through central and eastern Syria, holds significant strategic importance encompassing key population centers, borders, and critical military supply routes. Its remoteness and rugged terrain turned it into a refuge for ISIS cells.

According to Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al Baba, senior figures from the international anti-ISIS coalition and Syria鈥檚 Internal Security command were conducting a joint field tour Saturday in the Badia region. The visit concluded at a fortified Internal Security base. 鈥淎t the gate of this base, an attack took place, committed by someone affiliated with the ISIS organization,鈥� the spokesperson said.

Palmyra itself was under ISIS control twice during the Syrian civil war. The American base at Al-Tanf, established in 2016 in the context of global anti-ISIS operations, sits roughly 100 miles south of Palmyra.

Following Mr. Assad鈥檚 ouster in December 2024, the U.S. retained a military presence in Syria as part of its ongoing campaign against ISIS. There are about 1,000 troops, according to the Pentagon, although President Trump had signaled the intention to withdraw them earlier this year.

The attack comes weeks after Syria became the 90th member of the U.S.-led Global Coalition against ISIS.

Varying ideological backgrounds

Compounding concerns about ideological screening, former rebels of widely differing backgrounds now oversee a security apparatus once used by the Assad regime to crush dissent, forcibly disappear opponents, and kill hundreds of thousands of people.

鈥淭he Syrian security and military forces come from a variety of ideological backgrounds,鈥� ranging from jihadist groups to both religious and secular nationalist factions, says Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, a Syria-based analyst who specializes in jihadist movements.

Of particular concern, Mr. Tamimi notes, is the nature of ideological instruction reportedly being delivered to recruits.

鈥淩ight now, there is a broader concern about the Sunni-centric, religious instruction being given to recruits within the military in particular,鈥� says Mr. Tamimi, noting that it seems that the military and security forces have also recruited former members of ISIS.

Today鈥檚 dominant security actors are linked to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which emerged from Syria鈥檚 jihadist movements. An Al Qaeda offshoot, the group rebranded itself away from global jihad toward a narrowly Syrian, nationalist project under the command of Mr. al-Sharaa.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham聽battled ISIS while seeking to eliminate rival factions and assert territorial control. Mr. al-Sharaa鈥檚 break from global jihad years ago and recent visit to the White House has been met with discontent from more radical peers, both Syrian and foreign.

Meanwhile, expedited recruitment efforts have made it possible for individuals with a jihadist ideology to join state institutions.

鈥淪ome of those former members may have clearly abandoned the Islamic State鈥檚 ideology, whereas others may still adhere to it,鈥� notes Mr. Tamimi, who is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. 鈥淚n the case of this incident, however, it is the first of its kind in which someone supportive of the group and recruited into the security forces carried out an attack from within.鈥�

Shift in ISIS activity

The attack also aligns with what appears to be a deliberate shift in ISIS activity inside Syria since Mr. Assad鈥檚 ouster.

ISIS attacks have typically focused on the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, in which Syrian Kurds play a leadership role. Recently, however, it has claimed operations in locations controlled by the Syrian government, including major cities like Homs, Hama, Damascus, and Aleppo.

鈥淚t is likely that the group was keeping a low profile within Syrian government-held areas for security reasons as its cells moved and positioned themselves, even as its propaganda repeatedly railed against the government. But now, in order to demonstrate credibility, the group is claiming more attacks,鈥� says Mr. Tamimi.

Mr. Baba, the Interior Ministry spokesperson, rejected reports that the attacker held a leadership role in Syria鈥檚 Internal Security forces. He noted that more than 5,000 personnel operate under the Internal Security command in the Badia region, with weekly vetting procedures in place. In an assessment conducted earlier this month, authorities flagged concerns about the attacker鈥檚 ideological orientation. Mr. Baba said disciplinary action had been planned.

The Interior Ministry later issued a statement saying that an 鈥淚SIS member infiltrated the meeting.鈥� It reiterated Syria鈥檚 commitment to fighting ISIS 鈥渋n cooperation and coordination鈥� with the U.S.-led coalition.

Palmyra residents said arrests have taken place and that U.S. coalition warplanes have been flying over the city since the attack.

Despite the gravity of the attack, Mr. Tamimi does not expect a fundamental rupture in U.S.鈥揝yria relations.

鈥淭rump has made clear he supports and stands by Sharaa, who did a very good job of courting him,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut there will be more pressure on the Syrian government from the U.S. to vet recruits into the security and military forces and root out suspected ISIS infiltrators and supporters.鈥�