Who were Brian Torres-Tovar and William Nathaniel Howard, US soldiers killed in Syria?
In an ISIS ambush in Palmyra, two American soldiers were killed, the first US troop deaths since Assad's fall.
Two American soldiers were killed in an ISIS ambush in central Syria, marking the first US troop deaths in the country since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last year, according to CBS News and CNN. The attack took place in Palmyra, a region where US forces continue counterterrorism operations despite years of pressure on the militant group.
The Pentagon said the soldiers were supporting a mission linked to the US-led effort to defeat ISIS when a single ISIS gunman opened fire, killing both troops and an American civilian interpreter.
Three additional US service members were wounded in the incident, while the attacker was killed, the Department of Defense said.
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Who were Brian Torres-Tovar and William Nathaniel Howard?
The US Army identified the soldiers as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa.
Both soldiers were members of the Iowa National Guard and were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, based in Boone, Iowa, the Army said.
Torres-Tovar and Howard died on December 13, 2025, after sustaining injuries while “engaged with hostile forces” in Palmyra. The incident remains under investigation.
A personal tribute came from Jeffrey Bunn, chief of the Meskwaki Nation Police Department and Sgt. Howard’s father. In a Facebook post, Bunn said his son “loved what he was doing” and described him as a soldier who believed in being “the first in and last out, no one left behind.”
US officials estimate that about 1,000 American troops are currently deployed in Syria as part of the mission to prevent ISIS from regrouping, CBS News reported.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said, as per CNN, that roughly 1,800 Iowa Army National Guard soldiers began deploying to the Middle East earlier this year to support Operation Inherent Resolve, the US-led mission against ISIS.
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In a statement, Reynolds said Sgt. Howard and Sgt. Torres-Tovar “served our state and nation with honor” and ordered flags across Iowa to be flown at half-staff until sunset on the day of their funerals.
