Syrian President Condoles Trump on Palmyra Attack, Denounces 'Unfortunate Incident'; Washington Reaffirms Support for Damascus Against ISIS

Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa sent a condolence telegram to US President Donald Trump regarding the killing of American soldiers in the Homs countryside, confirming Syria's solidarity with the victims' families and Damascus's condemnation of the "unfortunate incident."

Syrian and US Mutual Statements:

Speaker/Entity	Key Point	Stance on Bilateral Relations
Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa	Condemned the unfortunate incident; affirmed Damascus's commitment to security and stability in Syria and the region.	Confirmed solidarity with victims, in the context of Damascus officially joining the international coalition last month.
US President Donald Trump	Vowed that the Palmyra attack "will not go unanswered," and that "significant damage will be inflicted" on the attackers.	Asserted that the Syrian government fought alongside US forces to repel the attack.
US Envoy to Syria (Thomas Brack)	The attack confirms the continued threat of ISIS. Attacks are in response to continuous pressure from Syria with limited US operational support.	Confirmed the US plan relies on enabling Syria to pursue ISIS with limited operational support, and the US presence protects America from bigger threats.
US Secretary of State (Marco Rubio)	Deemed the Palmyra attack a new challenge in the fight against terrorism.	Reaffirmed to his Syrian counterpart the importance of joint work to enhance counter-terrorism, and confirmed America's continued support for the Syrian government.
Syrian Foreign Minister (Assad al-Sheibani)	Asserted that the Palmyra attack was an attempt to "destabilize relations" (with the US).	Held a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Attack and Casualty Details (CENTCOM):

• Casualties: The attacker, two US soldiers, and a civilian translator were killed, and three other soldiers were wounded.

• Mission: The delegation was in Palmyra as part of a support mission for ongoing operations against ISIS.

US Military Presence:

US forces are primarily deployed in Kurdish-controlled areas in the northeast, along with the Al-Tanf base near the Jordanian border.