Palmyra gunman was Syrian security member set for dismissal
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syria’s Interior Ministry said on Sunday that the gunman who killed three Americans in the Palmyra region a day earlier was a member of the Syrian security forces who was about to be dismissed for holding extremist views.
Two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday in what Damascus described as a “terrorist attack” in central Syria.
Washington, for its part, said the assault was carried out by an ISIS militant who was later killed.
Noureddine al-Baba, Interior Ministry spokesman of the Syrian transitional government, told Syrian state television that authorities had already decided to dismiss the attacker from the security forces for embracing “extremist Islamist ideas,” with the move scheduled to take place on Sunday.
A Syrian security official told AFP that 11 members of the general security forces were arrested and brought in for questioning following the attack.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the gunman had served in the security forces for more than 10 months and had been stationed in several cities before being transferred to Palmyra.
Syrian state media reported that two Syrian security personnel were also wounded. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Damascus “strongly condemns the terrorist attack.”
In November, Damascus officially joined the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, following Syrian Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington.