US Soldiers Killed in ISIS Ambush: Remembering Sgt. Brian Torres-Tovar and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard

In a tragic incident, two American soldiers were killed in an ISIS ambush in Palmyra, Syria, marking the first US troop deaths in the country since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The attack occurred on December 13, 2025, while the soldiers were supporting a mission linked to the US-led effort to defeat ISIS. Sgt. Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, both from Iowa, were identified as the soldiers who lost their lives. They were members of the Iowa National Guard and were part of the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, based in Boone, Iowa. The incident remains under investigation, but officials confirm that the soldiers were engaged with hostile forces when they sustained their injuries. Three additional US service members were wounded in the attack, while the attacker was killed. US officials estimate that around 1,000 American troops are currently deployed in Syria as part of the mission to prevent ISIS from regrouping. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds praised the two soldiers, saying they 'served our state and nation with honor.' Reynolds has ordered flags across Iowa to be flown at half-staff until sunset on the day of their funerals. The loss of Sgt. Torres-Tovar and Sgt. Howard has sent shockwaves across the community, with friends and family paying tribute to their bravery and sacrifice. Jeffrey Bunn, chief of the Meskwaki Nation Police Department and Sgt. Howard's father, described his son as a soldier who believed in being 'the first in and last out, no one left behind.'