New Details Emerge About Attack on US Troops in Palmyra, Syria
The Wall Street Journal has reported, citing a US military officer, that an attack on American troops in the Syrian city of Palmyra occurred during a meeting between a US officer and a Syrian Interior Ministry official.
According to the report, a lone gunman appeared at a window near the meeting site and opened fire. American and Syrian forces responded to the attack, and the assailant was killed in the ensuing exchange of fire.
In response to the incident, the head of American affairs at the Foreign Ministry affiliated with the Joulani-controlled administration in Syria claimed that Damascus would continue working with its partners to prevent the resurgence of ISIS. As’ad al-Shibani, the foreign minister of this administration, condemned the attack, stating that it had targeted a joint US-Syrian patrol near Palmyra aimed at counter-terrorism efforts.
Meanwhile, Tom Barrack, the US Special Envoy for Syria, stated that a limited number of American forces remain in Syria to fight ISIS and prevent terrorist threats. He emphasized that the United States, in coordination with its Syrian counterparts, would pursue those responsible for and supportive of the attack.
The US official added that Washington remains committed to its mission to defeat ISIS and warned that any attack on American forces would be met with a swift and decisive response. He also welcomed the pledge by the self-declared Syrian president to identify those behind the incident.
Following the attack, local sources reported that US warplanes lit up the skies over Palmyra in Homs province by dropping illumination flares. According to these sources, US forces conducted a roughly two-hour operation, including detentions, before withdrawing from the city.
