TUNIS, December 14. /TASS/. Syria’s transitional government security forces have launched an operation against the Islamic State (IS, banned in Russia) in several areas of the Homs Governorate and the Syrian desert, following an attack on a joint Syrian-US patrol, Al Ekhbariya TV reported.
A security official, Ali al-Sufi, told the channel that the operation is targeting IS-linked militants hiding in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country. According to Syria TV, the US-led coalition is also carrying out arrests in Palmyra and surrounding areas in response to the shooting.
On Saturday, an armed man opened fire on the joint Syrian-US patrol, killing two US soldiers and one American civilian interpreter. Their bodies were transported by US helicopters to a coalition military base near Al-Tanf, approximately 250 km from Damascus.
A Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman said the attacker was a member of the security forces but held no command position. He was neutralized during the shootout. Authorities are investigating whether he was affiliated with IS or merely adhered to the terrorist ideology.