IS attack on US soldiers puts Damascus to the test

Two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian U.S. interpreter were killed on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 13, during a joint U.S.-Syrian patrol while taking part in counter terrorism operations against the Islamic State (IS) near Palmyra, in central Syria. The attack was the first to inflict casualties since the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a year ago.The attack has not yet been claimed, but initial reports suggest it was likely orchestrated by IS, according to the U.S. Central Command, which characterized the attack as an “ambush.”The perpetrator was identified as a member of the Syrian General Security forces, “but did not have a leadership role,” the Syrian interior minister said. “He held extremist ideas,” he added, and noted that an investigation is underway to determine whether he was linked to IS. More on this developing...