Tragic Loss of Iowa National Guard Soldiers in Syria
On Monday, the Iowa National Guard revealed the identities of two soldiers killed in an ambush by an ISIS gunman in central Syria over the weekend.
The fallen soldiers were Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, from Marshalltown, Iowa, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, from Grimes, Iowa. Their deployment began on May 28th as part of a unit supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, aimed at combating ISIS.
The U.S. Central Command characterized the incident as an ambush, noting that the attacker was ultimately neutralized. This occurred during what was described as a “key leader engagement” in Palmyra, as explained by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth took to social media to express gratitude to the soldiers and emphasized that partner forces were involved in neutralizing the threat.
In addition to the loss of Sgt. Howard and Sgt. Torres-Tovar, a civilian interpreter working with U.S. forces, identified as Ayad Sakat, was also killed. Three other U.S. servicemembers sustained injuries but are reported to be recovering.
Chief Jeffrey Bunn, Howard’s father and chief of the Meskwaki Nation Police Department, confirmed the devastating news through a heartfelt Facebook post on December 13th.
“Today two of our Iowa Army National Guard Soldiers were killed in action along with a Civilian Interpreter in Syria,” Bunn shared. “My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have. Our son Nate was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, to keep us all safer. He loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out, no one left behind. Please pray for our Soldiers all around this cruel world. We will see you again son, until then we have it from here,” he expressed.
Syria’s government stated that the deceased shooter had been investigated for potential extremist views just days prior to the attack. In response, President Donald Trump vowed to retaliate once briefed on the situation.
Trump has cultivated closer ties with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadist leader. Al-Sharaa’s group, previously linked to al-Qaeda, led a successful rebel offensive against Bashar al-Assad last year and has sought political legitimacy since then. However, questions remain about whether this effort constitutes genuine reform.
A former member of the victims’ unit cautioned that the incident could have repercussions for U.S.-Syrian relations, raising concerns and frustration over the attack’s preventability.
Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, suggested that this could pose a significant challenge for al-Sharaa.
“He’s telling the West, ‘I embrace you. I want an alliance, and I’m willing to go counter terrorism.’ But he’s telling the Islamists at the same time that he’s not really a part of this Western world, that he’s sticking true to the principles of the religion,” Landis remarked.
After Assad’s regime fell, some ISIS fighters reportedly infiltrated government security forces. Landis remarked that the U.S. would likely compile a list of personnel who should be held accountable in relation to the attack.
U.S. forces have been active in Syria against ISIS since 2015, with airstrikes occurring the previous year under former President Obama. After ISIS lost its territorial control in 2019, President Trump ordered reductions, decreasing troop levels from around 2,000 to about 900. However, following Assad’s ousting last year, troop numbers temporarily increased to roughly 2,000 before stabilizing again.
Discussions about further troop reductions alongside the approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq have taken place, though no definitive withdrawal timeline is set. As concerns about ISIS resurgence persist, reports indicate around 900 U.S. troops remain stationed in Syria as of late 2025, according to U.S. Central Command.
