The Iowa National Guard released the names of two US soldiers killed in a December 13 attack in Syria. “The deceased soldiers are Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29 of Marshalltown, Iowa and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25 of Des Moines, Iowa. Both were members of the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment,” the Guard noted.
Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn, the adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, honored the memory and sacrifice of the men. “They were dedicated professionals and cherished members of our Guard family.”
The statement also noted that three other Iowa National Guard Soldiers were wounded in the attack. Two of them required medical evacuation but are now in stable condition. The third was treated locally.
General Stephen Nordhaus, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, also released a statement, memorializing the fallen and noting that their “mission was in support of ongoing counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region. Our hearts are with their families, loved ones and the Iowa National Guard during this time of profound sorrow. We honor their courage and sacrifice, and we will never forget them or their service.”
During the attack on December 13, the US soldiers were accompanied by a translator. His name has also been released. The Syriac Press wrote on X that “the Syriac [Christian] community mourns the death of translator Ayad Mansour Kyriakos Sakkat, a Syriac Catholic born in the Nineveh Plains town of Baghdede (Qaraqosh), Iraq, who later emigrated to the United States. Mansour Kyriakos Sakkat was killed in the terrorist attack on 13 December 2025 targeting American soldiers in Tadmor (Palmyra), Syria, that also killed two soldiers.”
Previously the Kurdish media outlet Rudaw had noted that “the American civilian killed in an ambush on Saturday alongside two US troops in central Syria was a Christian from the Kurdistan Region working with US forces, a US military source in Syria told Rudaw, adding that the attack took place during a meeting with Syrian defense ministry-affiliated forces in Homs province.” The report added that “the American civilian killed in the ambush was a Christian from the Kurdistan Region, a US military source in Syria told Rudaw on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.” The report had said that the ambush took place in Homs province and that the US force was from the Tanf Garrison in southern Syria.
Task and Purpose provided other details on the victims and the incident. It noted that their unit was part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa National Guard. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth wrote that “the United States of America will avenge these fallen Americans with overwhelming force. Their memory will live on through their families, their fellow warriors still serving our country, and in my unwavering commitment to our warfighters around the globe.”
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote after the incident that “today in Palmyra, Syria, two United States Army soldiers and one civilian U.S. interpreter were killed, and three were wounded. The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement. Their mission was in support of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism operations in the region.”
Attack raises questions about US-Syria cooperation
The attack has raised questions about US-Syria cooperation and how US forces will work with Syria’s security forces. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in eastern Syria have also put out statements of condolences about the losses. The SDF and US have partnered successfully for ten years. The US has only just begun to work with the new Syrian security forces trained by Damascus. Damascus has vowed to hunt down any of those linked to the attack and also work with the US to defeat ISIS.
Task and Purpose noted that “the delegation [the was attacked] was in the city of Palmyra, home to both a Syrian military base and Roman ruins, as part of an engagement campaign with the interim Syrian government. The gunman, a recently hired base guard, stormed into a meeting between American and Syrian officials and opened fire, Syrian Interior Minister spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba told the Associated Press. It follows Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House in November and the new Syrian government’s growing cooperation with the United States against ISIS.”
US forces at Tanf Garrison in southern Syria have been working with Syrian rebel groups since 2015. After the Assad regime fell, the Syrian rebel group that the US was working with, the Syrian Free Army, became part of the new government’s 70th Division.
The US forces at Tanf had included the 10th Mountain Division and elements of the Florida Guard in the past, according to statements in the spring of 2025. It is not clear which units are operating there now. The casualties among the Iowa National Guard indicate they are playing a role.