The Department of the Army has identified the two U.S. service members killed in an attack in Syria.
Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa, died from injuries sustained when a man opened fire near Palmyra, a remote desert region, according to military officials.
Tovar and Howard were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa National Guard in Boone, Iowa.
Another American — a civilian who was working as an interpreter — was also killed. Their name has not yet been released.
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The Associated Press reported that the attacker had recently joined Syria’s internal security forces and had raised suspicions of possible Islamic State infiltration. He had reportedly been reassigned to guard equipment to keep him away from leadership and U.S.-led patrols, but ultimately stormed an area where U.S. and Syrian officials were eating lunch. He was fatally shot by security personnel.
Syria’s president, who has sought to strengthen ties with the United States, condemned the attack. President Donald Trump also vowed retaliation against ISIS.
The U.S. has maintained a small military presence in Syria since the Obama administration. The Pentagon says roughly 1,000 service members remain in the country to support operations against extremist groups.
