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A deadly attack in central Syria on Saturday resulted in the loss of two US army soldiers and one American civilian interpreter, with a number of others wounded, as stated by the US Department of Defense.

This offensive on American forces in the historic town of Palmyra marks the first event to inflict casualties following the ouster of ex-leader Bashar al-Assad roughly a year prior.

"This assault took place while the service members were conducting a key leader engagement," a Pentagon spokesperson said. "The operation was in aid of on-going anti-ISIS / anti-terror missions in the area."

The assailant behind the gunfire was killed by allied troops, as confirmed by a declaration from the Secretary of Defense.

Details Withheld Out of Respect

Central Command noted that, as a matter of respect for the loved ones and in accordance with policy, the names of the fallen service members will not be released until a full day after their next of kin have been notified.

Earlier reports from Syrian state media and a war monitor said that shots rang out during a visit by American troops to the area of Palmyra.

Varying Accounts Emerge

Per a state-run news agency, two members of local security forces and a number of US personnel were injured in the exchange. Those hurt were reportedly evacuated by aircraft to a military base near the frontier with neighboring countries.

An official for the Syrian government said a gunman affiliated with ISIS opened fire at the entrance of a military post. Officials are investigating whether the individual was a formal member of the organization or merely espoused its extreme ideology.

This spokesperson also denied a report from a UK-based monitoring group that the attacker was a security member.

Ongoing US Presence in Syria

The US maintains hundreds of troops stationed in Syria's east as part of a multinational alliance combating the ISIS militant group.

Despite being militarily routed in the country in recent years, the organization's sleeper cells continue to execute deadly attacks. United Nations assessments indicate the faction still has thousands of fighters in Syria and Iraq.

US troops have been attacked in the before. Among the deadliest prior incidents occurred in that year in northern Syria, when an explosion claimed the lives of two US service members and two American civilians, among additional casualties.