Syria apprehended five individuals suspected of being connected to the attack on both American and Syrian troops in the town of Palmyra, as stated by the Interior Ministry on Sunday. The incident led to the deaths of two U.S. army personnel and a civilian interpreter after an assailant targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being neutralized. The Syrian Interior Ministry identified the attacker as a member of the Syrian security forces believed to have ties to ISIS sympathizers.
Collaboration between Syria and a U.S.-led coalition against ISIS was solidified last month during President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House. The Interior Ministry of Syria reported that its units in Palmyra, in conjunction with “international coalition forces,” conducted an operation resulting in the apprehension of five suspects who were promptly taken in for questioning.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in discussions with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani about the attack over the phone on Sunday. Shibani expressed condolences and reaffirmed the Syrian government’s dedication to combatting the mutual threat posed by ISIS. The Syrian Interior Ministry disclosed that the assailant had been under evaluation just prior to the attack, with concerns about his extremist inclinations. A decision regarding his future was pending.
The U.S.-led coalition has been actively conducting airstrikes and ground operations in Syria to target ISIS suspects in recent months, often in collaboration with Syria’s security forces. In the previous month, Syria launched a nationwide crackdown that led to the arrest of more than 70 individuals accused of having ties to the extremist group.
The United States has deployed troops in northeastern Syria as part of a prolonged campaign to combat ISIS, which controlled significant territories in Syria and Iraq from 2014 to 2019. Syria’s government is currently governed by former rebels who ousted leader Bashar al-Assad last year following a 13-year civil conflict, including individuals from Syria’s former al-Qaeda faction who separated from the group and clashed with ISIS.