It has been confirmed that the person who carried out the armed attack against US military personnel in Palmyra, Syria, was an employee of the Syrian security forces.
As a result of the incident, an American citizen serving as an interpreter for two soldiers of the US National Guard was killed.
Modern.az reports that the perpetrator of the attack was one of the security personnel close to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaan.
Photos circulated on social media reportedly show him alongside the head of state at several official events. He had been sent to the city of Palmyra by the Syrian Ministry of Internal Affairs for the purpose of “ensuring public order.”
According to investigation data, the attacker planned a terrorist act during a meeting attended by high-ranking commanders of the US army. However, after his attempt to enter the building where the meeting was held was thwarted by US military personnel, he opened fire.
Nureddin al-Baba, spokesperson for the Syrian Ministry of Internal Affairs, stated that it was determined before the incident that the attacker held radical ideological views. According to him, due to bureaucratic delays and the fact that the incident occurred on a weekend, the matter was not investigated in a timely manner. The ministry official emphasized that it was already known since December 10 that the individual was affiliated with Takfiri ideology, and measures were planned to be taken against him on Sunday, but he committed the crime one day earlier.
It is reported that the person who carried out the attack joined the ISIS terrorist organization in 2014 and participated in battles against the Bashar al-Assad regime and other armed groups in the provinces of Raqqa and Homs. After the overthrow of the Assad regime, he came to Damascus with a group of ISIS members and joined the security forces formed by the new Syrian government.
The Syrian Ministry of Internal Affairs has officially confirmed that the person who attacked US military personnel was an employee of Syrian security structures. However, neither the Pentagon nor the White House has issued a statement regarding the attacker working for the Syrian government, and no statement directly holding Damascus responsible for the events has been made.
After the incident, US President Donald Trump announced that a harsh response would be given to ISIS. The US Air Force has already carried out airstrikes on villages controlled by ISIS around Palmyra and Al-Bab.
