JERUSALEM, Israel – President Donald Trump promised "very serious retaliation" for the murders of two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian in an ambush attack near Palmyra, Syria, on Saturday. However, the president defended Syrian President Ahmed al-Shaara, saying he had been "devastated" by news of the killings.
The U.S. has placed the blame on the terror group ISIS. U.S. Central Command reported that three other Americans were wounded in the ambush, which the military said involved a lone gunman. Trump said the three wounded Americans "seemed to be doing pretty well." The gunman was later killed.
According to a report in Time Magazine, Syrian Interior Ministry Spokesman Noureddine el-Baba announced on Al-Ikhbariya, a state-run channel, that the gunman was a member of the Syrian government's security forces and was under investigation earlier in the week.
The Pentagon stated it would not release the names of the Americans who died for 24 hours, so the families can be notified.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar sent the Jewish state's condolences to the grieving American families and hopes that the wounded would quickly recover.
“Israel stands shoulder to shoulder with the United States, its closest ally,” Sa'ar noted.
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