Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has expressed condolences to his American counterpart Donald Trump after an attack on US soldiers in central Syria, Agence France-Presse reported.
Al-Sharaa sent a "letter of condolence" to the US president, expressing his country's "solidarity" with the families of the victims, the Syrian presidential office said in a statement. The attack, which Washington blames on the jihadist group "Islamic State" (IS), killed two American soldiers and an interpreter in Palmyra.
In addition, two Syrian soldiers were wounded, Reuters notes.
Syrian forces and the international anti-jihadist coalition led by the US launched an operation today against sleeper cells of the "Islamic State" (IS) group, AFP reported, citing an Interior Ministry official. The operation, launched in the Syrian desert, aims to hunt down "Daesh sleeper cells (Arabic acronym for Islamic State, AFP note), in cooperation with the US-led international coalition", according to the same source.
So far, three suspects have been arrested for alleged involvement in Saturday's attack that killed two US soldiers and a translator in Palmyra, in central Syria, he added.
Reuters reports that five people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack and sent for questioning.
"Four members of the internal security forces were killed and a fifth was wounded" after "gunmen" opened fire on them in the Syrian province of Idlib, AFP adds, citing the SANA agency.