The Department of the Army identified Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, as the two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed Saturday near Palmyra, Syria while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. A Pentagon spokesman said two soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed and three others wounded; preliminary assessments point to ISIS involvement. Syria reports five suspects have been detained, and U.S. authorities say the incident remains under investigation.
Army Identifies Two Iowa National Guard Soldiers Killed Near Palmyra, Syria
Army identifies two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in Syria
The Department of the Army on Monday released the names of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in an attack near Palmyra, Syria.
Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, were killed Saturday while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. mission to defeat ISIS and advise local partners.
Both soldiers were assigned to 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa National Guard. The Army says the incident remains under investigation.
A U.S. military convoy takes part in a joint patrol with Turkish troops in the Syrian village of al-Hashisha on the outskirts of Tal Abyad town along the border with Turkish troops, on Sept. 8, 2019.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell reported that two Army soldiers and a civilian U.S. interpreter were killed in the attack and that three others were wounded. A Pentagon official told Fox News Digital the shooting occurred in an area outside the control of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and that initial assessments indicate ISIS likely carried out the assault.
"My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have. Our son Nate was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, to keep us all safer. He loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out, no one left behind. Please pray for our Soldiers all around this cruel world. We will see you again son, until then we have i[t] from here,"
Syria's Ministry of Interior said its forces, coordinating with the General Intelligence Agency and international coalition partners, conducted a security operation in Palmyra that led to the arrest of five suspects taken into custody for questioning.
"The Ministry of Interior confirms that targeting state institutions will not go unanswered, and that the security apparatus possesses full readiness and high capability to strike with an iron fist against anyone who threatens the security and stability of the country,"
Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, praised the U.S. personnel involved, saying they have helped civilians in besieged areas and describing the fallen as heroes. President Donald Trump said authorities had detained an individual believed responsible and warned that there would be consequences for those behind the attack.
The Department of Defense and other U.S. authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the attack. Families of the fallen have been notified and the Iowa National Guard and broader military community have expressed their condolences.
