US special forces carry out arrest campaign in Syria following killing of three Americans

US special forces launched an arrest campaign on Saturday evening in the Syrian city of Palmyra, after three Americans were killed, The New Arab’s Arabic language sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

Those killed include two soldiers and a translator, while two members of the Syrian internal security were wounded in the attack. The attack occurred at the headquarters of the Internal Security Command.

At least three individuals were arrested, while US helicopters and planes circled above Palmyra and the eastern Homs countryside.

American armed vehicles patrolled the streets of Palmyra amid the tensions.

The US Central Command issued a statement on X, saying that the deadly attack had been "an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman" who was "engaged and killed".

A local activist, Mohammed al-Khalaf, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that US warplanes were at a very low altitude on Saturday evening, but noting that there were now bombings.

US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House following the deaths of the three US service members, stating the US would retaliate against ISIS if US forces were attacked again.

In a follow-up post on his Truth Social platform, he added: "There will be a very serious response".

The US President further said the killings were an "ISIS attack against the US, and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them."

He also said wounded troops were "doing well".

A Pentagon official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the attack "took place in an area where the Syrian President does not have control."

Syrian interior ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba issued a statement following the developments, stating the attack targeting US troops "has no affiliation to leadership or the Syrian Internal Security Forces and perpetrators are not considered members of the command staff".

He added that investigations are underway to determine whether the perpetrator had any connection to ISIS or had links to the group.

Syria's foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, weighed in on the matter in a post on X, stating that Damascus "strongly condemns the terrorist attack that targeted a joint Syria-US counterterrorism patrol near Palmyra".

"We extend our condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the American government and people, and wish the wounded a speedy recovery," he added.

The incident marks the first of its kind reported since rebel forces overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad in December last year. Since his ouster, Syria’s transitional government has sought to rekindle ties with the US.