US National Guard reveals the identity of the two soldiers killed in Syria
The US National Guard has revealed the identities of the two soldiers who were killed in an attack targeting joint US and Syrian forces in the central Syrian city of Palmyra.
The head of the National Guard office, Gen. Stephen Nordhaus, mourned Sgt. Edgar Bryan Torres Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, members of the Iowa Army National Guard, who were killed in a December 13 ambush.
The National Guard statement explained that the mission of the two soldiers was to support the ongoing operations against ISIS in the area, praising what it described as their courage and sacrifice, offering condolences to their families and colleagues, in addition to noting that a civilian translator was killed and three other soldiers were wounded in the same attack.
The attack is the first of its kind targeting US forces in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2025, and about a month after Syria officially joined the international coalition to fight the Islamic State.
US forces are mainly concentrated in northeastern Syria, where they are providing support to the SDF, amid reports of possible additional positions near Damascus.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said the attack took place during a security meeting that included officials from the desert Security Command and a delegation from the international coalition to discuss mechanisms to combat ISIS.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said one of the group’s members managed to infiltrate the meeting site and open fire on the joint Syrian and US forces.
It said it had previously warned of attempts by the group to carry out attacks targeting security and stability.
The Ministry of Interior stressed the need to raise the level of readiness and caution, stressing the continuation of investigations to pursue all those involved, and to enhance coordination with the international coalition forces in the fight against the organization.
The Syrian Interior Ministry also announced the implementation of a security operation in the city of Palmyra, which resulted in the arrest of five suspects in connection with the attack, in coordination with the General Intelligence Service and the international coalition forces, based on accurate intelligence, where the detainees were immediately transferred for investigation.
