The Iowa National Guard has identified two soldiers who were killed Saturday in an ambush by an apparent ISIS gunman in the Syrian city of Palmyra.
Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Grimes, were killed in the Dec. 13 attack, the Guard announced. Both soldiers were assigned to 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, which is currently deployed to the region in support of ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
Three additional Iowa National Guard soldiers were wounded in the attack, officials confirmed. In addition, one U.S. civilian, who Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said was serving as an interpreter, was killed. Their identifies were not provided.
Two of the wounded soldiers required medical evacuation but are now in stable condition, according to the release. The third service member was treated locally and is recovering.
Nour al-Din al-Baba, a Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson, claimed the gunman fired at the soldiers at the entrance to a military post. A statement by U.S. Central Command following the attack said the ISIS gunman was subsequently “engaged and killed.”
“Today, we honor the memory and sacrifice of Sgt. Howard and Sgt. Torres Tovar by sharing their names with a grateful state and nation,” Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn, adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, said in a release.
“They were dedicated professionals and cherished members of our Guard family who represented the best of Iowa. Our focus now is providing unwavering support to their families through this unimaginable time and ensuring the legacy of these two heroes is never forgotten.”
President Donald Trump took to social media in the wake of the attack and warned of “very serious retaliation.”
The Dec. 13 ambush marked the first combat deaths during Trump’s second term and the first such attack since the government of former Syrian President Bashar Assad was overthrown in December 2024.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a one-time al-Qaida-linked target who made a historic visit to the White House last month, led the forces that toppled the Assad regime.
Discussing the ambush with reporters at the White House, Trump noted that al-Sharaa was “devastated” and “extremely angry” about the attack.
The U.S. currently has hundreds of troops deployed to the region as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.
A July 2025 assessment of the Islamic State by the United Nations Security Council estimated that “terrorist fighters at large in the Syrian Arab Republic are estimated at more than 5,000.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
J.D. Simkins is the executive editor of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
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