ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) on Monday strongly condemned what it described as a “terrorist attack” targeting US forces in the city of Palmyra, calling it a "criminal act" that undermines security and stability in Syria and the wider region. The Kurdish-led body also reiterated its call for the implementation of a March 10 agreement between Kurdish forces and Damascus as a key step toward restoring stability.
The SDC, the political wing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said the attack “threatens the security and stability of Syria and the wider region, and serves the interests of extremism and chaos.”
Two US soldiers and a civilian were killed in an ambush in Syria’s central Homs province, while three other American troops and two members of Syrian security forces were wounded, according to the Pentagon and Syrian state media.
The US personnel targeted in the attack were based at the al-Tanf military base, located near the tri-border area of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. According to official sources, the team was in Tadmur (Palmyra), east of Homs province, for a meeting with Syrian armed forces affiliated with the defense ministry.
Syria officially joined the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in November, following a landmark meeting between US President Donald Trump and Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House - the first such meeting with a Syrian leader in more than eight decades.
On Saturday, an SDF spokesperson said on X that the group’s forces had not “in any way” participated in the joint patrol with US forces in Palmyra, while reaffirming their “readiness to pursue ISIS in those areas and defeat it.”
The SDF is the defacto Kurdish-led army in northeastern Syria (Rojava).
The SDC said the attack highlighted “the urgent need for coordinated national efforts and a strengthened collective will to confront terrorist groups and their sleeper cells.”
It also expressed “full solidarity with the families of the victims and with all partners engaged in the fight against terrorism,” adding that it would maintain its “alliance and partnership with the United States and the Global Coalition forces” in counterterrorism efforts.
The SDC further emphasized the importance of implementing the March 10 agreement between the transitional government in Damascus and the SDF, describing it as a crucial step toward enhancing security and stability across Syria.
The agreement, signed by SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and interim Sharaa, aims to bring all civil and military institutions in Rojava - including the SDF - under centralized state authority and establish a nationwide ceasefire.
However, progress in talks has been slow, as the two sides remain divided on key issues. The SDF has advocated for integrating its forces as a unified bloc, while Damascus favors incorporating fighters individually and distributing them across regular army units.