On 13 December 2025, a
Syrian police officer, suspected of being affiliated with the
Islamic State, carried out an ambush attack on
Syrian and US troops stationed in
Palmyra. The attack occurred a month after Syrian president
Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a political cooperation agreement with the
United States-led coalition against the Islamic State, which coincided with al-Sharaa's visit to the
White House. The soldiers were stationed for counter-terrorist measures when they came under gunfire by a lone gunman. The gunman was shot and killed by the Syrian security forces. Two Syrian troops were also reported to be wounded. The injured troops were evacuated to the
Al-Tanf military base controlled by the United States. The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the attacker was a member of the security forces of Syria. Syrian interior minister Noureddine al-Baba in a broadcast interview on the public television of Syria stated that the gunman had been a member of the security forces, whose dismissal for his "extremist" views had been planned for 14 December. He stated that the gunman had infiltrated a meeting between a delegation from the United States to combat the Islamic State and the
Syrian Armed Forces. ==Responses==