WASHINGTON (RTW News) — In a tragic incident over the weekend, two Iowa National Guard members were killed in an attack in Syria, which U.S. military officials attribute to the Islamic State group. The deceased soldiers have been identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, from Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, from Marshalltown.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered that flags across the state be flown at half-staff in tribute to their service. “We are grateful for their service and deeply mourn their loss,” she stated.
Additionally, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed that a civilian U.S. interpreter was also killed in the attack, while three other Guard members sustained injuries—two in stable condition and one reported to be in good condition.
This incident marks a significant challenge to the ongoing efforts at U.S.-Syria cooperation following the fall of former President Bashar Assad last year. The U.S. military is currently expanding its collaboration with Syrian security forces in the region, where hundreds of American troops are stationed as part of operations against ISIS.
Details surrounding the attack indicate that it occurred during a meeting involving U.S. and Syrian security forces, a discussion that turned violent when a gunman opened fire after a confrontation with Syrian guards. The assailant, reportedly a recent recruit to Syria’s internal security forces, was killed in the gunfire.
In the aftermath of this major security breach, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba acknowledged the gaps in security but emphasized that the overall results have exceeded failures in the past year.
The U.S. military continues to investigate the situation while President Donald Trump has vowed a robust retaliation against those responsible. He conveyed that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was left devastated by the attack, underlining the ongoing partnership between the U.S. and Syrian forces in the fight against terrorism.
