ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday extended condolences to US President Donald Trump, after an attack on the global coalition in western Syria killed three Americans, reiterating Damascus’ condemnation of the incident.

During a joint field patrol of the US-led international coalition and Syrian security forces near the ancient city of Palmyra in the Syrian desert on Saturday, a gunmen opened fire against the forces leading to the death of two American servicemembers and a civilian interpreter, and the injury of three others. Several Syrian soldiers were also wounded.

“President Ahmad al-Sharaa sent a telegram of condolence to US President Donald Trump regarding the killing of American soldiers in the Homs countryside,” read a statement by Syria’s presidency.

Sharaa affirmed the Damascus’ “condemnation of this tragic incident” and reiterated commitment to maintaining security and stability in Syria and the region.

The sole gunman who committed the attack was killed at the scene.

The offensive is believed to have been perpetrated by the Islamic State (ISIS), which infests the desert region, a source from the Pentagon told The New Region, noting that the area is outside of the Syrian government’s control. US officials have vowed to retaliate against the militant group.

Hours following the incident, Trump mourned the victims of the attack and asserted that the Syrian President “is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” adding that “there will be very serious retaliation.”

During an event at the White House, Trump stated that “there will be a lot of damage done to the people that did it, they got the person [perpetrator]… but there will be big damage done.”

US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said that the attack shows the “menace” of ISIS and added that Washington “will not allow this attack on our beautiful young troops to go uncontested.”

Syria joined the international coalition in November, becoming the body’s 90th partner to join the global fight against ISIS.

The announcement was made a day after Sharaa visited the US and met with Trump, during which Washington temporarily suspended key Caesar Act sanctions on Damascus and suggested that Syria should join the coalition.

Before its rise to power, the Sharaa-led Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) faction fought alongside many local and international jihadist entities in the fight against Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Syrian authorities now seek to bolster their relations with the West in order to normalize diplomatic relations, boost the economy, and support the country’s reconstruction, which involves joining the Western states in fighting the Islamic militant group.