Assailant opens fire on Syrian and US forces in Palmyra, leaving several wounded
By SAMAR KASSABALI and BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — An assailant opened fire at Syrian and U.S. forces on Saturday during a visit by American troops to a historic central town, leaving several wounded, Syria’s state media and a war monitor said.
The shooting took place near Palmyra, state-run SANA news agency reported. It said that two members of Syria’s security force and several U.S. service members were wounded and rushed by helicopters to the Tanf garrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan.
SANA said the attacker was killed, without providing further details.
A U.S. defense official told The Associated Press that they are aware of the reports and did not have any information to provide immediately. The official spoke on condition of anonymity for not being authorized to speak to the media.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least three people were wounded in the shooting. It added that the attacker was a member of the Syrian security force.
The U.S. has hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the Islamic State group.
IS was defeated in Syria in 2019, but the group’s sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in the country.
U.S. troops have maintained a presence in different parts of Syria including Al-Tanf garrison in the central province of Homs to train other forces as part of a broad campaign against IS.
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Mroue reported from Beirut.
