Tag Archive for: sean parnell

Two American Servicemen, Interpreter Killed In Syrian Attack, Pentagon Announces

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Two U.S. Army soldiers and an American civilian interpreter were killed in a Saturday attack in Syria, the Department of War announced.

Sean Parnell, chief spokesman for the Pentagon, announced the three deaths in a statement posted to X, adding that three others were wounded. The attack occurred as the U.S. soldiers were conducting a “key leader engagement,” Parnell stated.

The soldiers’ mission was “in support of on-going counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations in the region,” Parnell wrote. The attack occurred in an area Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa does not have control, Fox News reported, citing a Pentagon official.

“The soldiers’ names, as well as identifying information about their units, are being withheld until 24 hours after the next of kin notification,” he continued. “This attack is currently under active investigation.”

Today in Palmyra, Syria, two United States Army soldiers and one civilian U.S. interpreter were killed, and three were wounded.

The attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement. Their mission was in support of on-going counter-ISIS / counter-terrorism…

— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) December 13, 2025

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a Saturday statement posted on X that the “savage” who perpetrated the attack was “killed by partner forces.”

“Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the U.S. will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you,” Hegseth wrote.

U.S. and Syrian forces came under attack Saturday amid a joint patrol near Palmyra, The New York Times reported, citing Syrian state news agency SANA. U.S. Central Command also confirmed the deaths in a Saturday X post, but noted additional updates about the incident will be provided as they become available.

President Trump responded to the attack on Truth Social:

We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter. Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well. This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them. The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Editor’s note: This breaking news report was updated with new details.

AUTHOR

Ireland Owens

Reporter

RELATED ARTICLE: Hegseth Announces New Military Platform Dubbed ‘Future Of American Warfare’

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Pentagon Spox: Trump Admin Has ‘Obligation’ To Hold Accountable Officials Involved In Afghanistan Withdrawal

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The Trump administration has an “obligation” to hold accountable the leadership involved in the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, Department of Defense (DOD) spokesman Sean Parnell told the Daily Caller during a press briefing Monday.

Parnell responded to a question from the Caller about whether the DOD would commit to firing or disciplining any remaining leadership directly involved in the Afghanistan withdrawal.

“We’re in the process of figuring out what that investigation will look like,” Parnell stated.

He expounded on his experience serving in Afghanistan and detailed how former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal “horrified” him.

“I was horrified, in a lot of ways,” he said. “You think about how much time, and blood and treasure and American life that was lost in Afghanistan over 20 years, you think about that for a second — I’m 43 years old, and this country was at war in Afghanistan for 20 years.”

“Almost half of my life, this country was at war in Afghanistan,” he emphasized, adding how he witnessed the war firsthand.

“We bled the ground red in Afghanistan,” he said. “I watched my men do extraordinary things in support of a grateful nation and in support of a mission there, and to watch Afghanistan be surrendered in the way that it was, [it] was extremely difficult.”

The Abbey Gate bombing during the withdrawal killed 13 Americans and 170 Afghanistan civilians. The Trump administration, working with Pakistan’s Intelligence Service, captured the suspected planner of the bombing in March.

“Will those people be held accountable?” Parnell continued. “I think we have an obligation both to the American people and to the warfighters who fought in Afghanistan to hold the leadership accountable in some way.”

“Now, we don’t know what that looks like right now to hold the leadership of the Afghanistan withdrawal accountable,” he said. “If you have a private that loses a sensitive item, that loses night-vision goggles, and loses a weapon, you can bet that private’s going to be held accountable. The same and equal standards must apply to senior military leaders.”

Former Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCOS) Gen. Mark Milley was involved in planning the withdrawal, and his security clearance was revoked by Trump in January.

AUTHOR

Eireann Van Natta

Intellegence state reporter.

RELATED ARTICLES:

‘Personal Manhunt’: Trump Officials Detail How Administration Prioritized Abbey Gate Terrorist’s Capture

‘It’s Bullsh*t’: Marine At Center Of New Afghanistan Probe Accuses Pentagon Of Covering Up Evidence

‘White Rage’: General Mark Milley Leaves Behind A Checkered Legacy

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.