U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed two U.S. military personnel and one U.S. civilian lost their lives, and three U.S. military personnel were injured, in an ambush by a lone ISIS attacker in Syria on December 13, 2025, according to a statement cited in an X post between 5:48 PM and 6:16 PM UTC. Partner forces neutralized the attacker. The statement referenced the incident occurring during counter-ISIS operations in Palmyra, matching earlier Pentagon confirmations issued between 4:17 PM and 5:16 PM UTC by SecWar on X and CENTCOM, which withheld identities pending next-of-kin notification and noted an ongoing investigation. U.S. forces imposed a communications blackout following the attack to prevent families learning of casualties through unofficial channels, as described by U.S. veteran @EODHappyCaptain on X during the prior reporting window.
