• Two Iowa National Guardsmen were killed in an ambush in Syria.
• The soldiers were engaged in a counter-ISIS operation at the time of the attack.
• Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in their honor.
• A civilian interpreter was also killed; three other soldiers and Syrian security members were wounded.
• President Trump emphasized the U.S. would respond with serious retaliation.

The two U.S. soldiers killed in Syria were identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, both members of the Iowa National Guard. They were attacked while conducting a "key leader engagement" as part of ongoing counter-ISIS efforts near Palmyra. Their deaths also saw a civilian interpreter killed and three other U.S. service members wounded, according to abcnews and cbsnews.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds expressed profound sorrow, stating, "These soldiers served our state and nation with honor and in doing so, gave the ultimate sacrifice." She has ordered flags across Iowa to fly at half-staff until their funerals. The attack marks a significant moment, being the first U.S. troop deaths since the ousting of President Bashar Al Assad last year, as confirmed by thehill and latimes.

The ambush was reportedly carried out by an ISIS-linked gunman who engaged both U.S. soldiers and their Syrian security counterparts. President Trump has promised "very serious retaliation" for the attack, reflecting on the grave situation facing U.S. military personnel abroad. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed the commitment to avenging the fallen soldiers "with overwhelming force," according to latimes, abcnews, and cbsnews.