USA16 December, 20252 min read
Islamic State Ambushes and Kills Two Iowa National Guard Soldiers Near Palmyra, Syria
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
ISIS-linked gunman killed two Iowa National Guard sergeants near Palmyra, Syria The dead were Sgt Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, and Sgt William Nathaniel Howard, 29
6 outlets told this the same way.
Ambush near Palmyra, Syria
An ambush near Palmyra, Syria, left two Iowa National Guard sergeants dead and multiple U.S. and Syrian security personnel wounded on a weekend; U.S. officials have tied the attack to the Islamic State.
“Two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in a weekend attack in Syria were identified Monday as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown.”
The slain soldiers were identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown.
A U.S. civilian interpreter also died.
Three other Guard members were wounded, two in stable condition and one in good condition.
The shooting took place at a meeting and lunch between U.S. and Syrian security personnel in the Syrian desert.
The gunman was killed at the scene.
Guard suspected of ISIS ties
Reports across outlets describe the assailant as a recently reassigned or newly recruited base security guard suspected of ties to ISIS. He reportedly stormed a joint meeting and was killed at the scene.
Syrian and U.S. accounts both say Syrian security personnel were wounded in the incident. Sources differ slightly on the guard’s recent history: The Guardian says he joined Syria’s internal security forces two months earlier, kurdistan24.net calls him a recently recruited base guard who had been reassigned amid suspicions of ISIS ties, and AP describes him as recently reassigned and suspected of ISIS ties.
U.S. reactions and coverage
U.S. officials, including the Pentagon and top civilian leaders, reacted swiftly to the attack. The Pentagon said the attack was under investigation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump publicly blamed the Islamic State and vowed retaliation.
“The Pentagon said a U.S. civilian interpreter also died and three other Guard members were wounded (two in stable condition, one in good condition).”
Trump used social media to promise serious consequences. Kurdish and regional outlets quoted U.S. statements but included additional context. Kurdistan24.net reports Hegseth's vow that the U.S. would "avenge these fallen Americans with overwhelming force," and SOFX notes Trump's post on Truth Social warning of "very serious retaliation."
Syrian security response
Syrian authorities called the shooting a major security breach, conducted an operation they said led to the arrest of five suspects, and defended broader security gains in the area. Kurdistan24.net quotes Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al‑Din al‑Baba calling it a "major security breach."
SOFX reports that Syria said five suspects were arrested in an Interior Ministry operation carried out in coordination with international coalition forces. The Guardian frames the episode as a test of expanding U.S.-Syrian security cooperation, while the Associated Press notes Syrian security personnel were wounded.
Official honors and response
The human toll and public reaction were underscored by official honors and mourning in the U.S.
“Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered state flags flown at half-staff to honor the fallen, saying the state is ‘grateful for their service and deeply mourn[s] their loss.’”
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered state flags flown at half-staff to honor Torres-Tovar and Howard.
Officials and public figures called for prayers and remembrance and described the state as grateful for their service.
Reports consistently name the dead, note the wounded U.S. personnel's conditions, and record calls for remembrance and investigations into the breach.