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Deadly strike on US troops tests Trump’s counter-ISIS plan — and his trust in Syria’s new leader
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A deadly insider attack that killed two U.S. service members in Syria is prompting fresh scrutiny of the Trump administration’s counter-ISIS approach and its rapid embrace of Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
While Republican lawmakers largely urge a stronger campaign to contain ISIS, the shooting has exposed vulnerabilities inside Syria’s fledgling security institutions and raised new questions about whether the U.S. can rely on Syrian forces as the administration seeks to stabilize the country.
The incident has now become a flashpoint in a broader debate: whether the administration is underestimating ISIS’s resilience, overestimating the reliability of Syria’s fledgling institutions, and potentially risking a withdrawal that could give the terror group room to rebound.
ISIS-linked gunman who allegedly killed two U.S. service members was a member of Syria’s security forces. (Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images)
2 US ARMY SOLDIERS, INTERPRETER KILLED IN SYRIA AMBUSH ATTACK, TRUMP WARNS OF ‘VERY SERIOUS RETALIATION’
Syrian officials say the gunman was part of the new post-Assad security apparatus and had been flagged internally for extremist leanings. He reportedly was in the process of being reassigned when he opened fire on American personnel, killing two service members and injuring an American civilian before being shot dead.
The attack immediately raised questions about the strength of U.S.–Syrian cooperation — a partnership that hinges on Washington’s willingness to trust a government led by a man who was, until recently, a wanted terrorist himself. Trump officials have argued that al-Sharaa is essential to stabilizing Syria after Bashar al-Assad’s downfall, but critics say the weekend shooting reveals glaring cracks in that strategy.
TRUMP TO HOST SYRIAN PRESIDENT IN HISTORIC WHITE HOUSE MEETING AMID PUSH FOR REGIONAL PEACE
Indiana Republican Sen. Jim Banks defended Trump’s approach, saying on Fox News that the president «rooted out and took out the ISIS caliphate in his first term» and «is going to do that again» in his second. But Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, pushed back sharply.
«There’s been some discussion, the president has claimed repeatedly he defeated the caliphate, ISIS etc., and that’s not the case at all,» Reed said on «Fox News Sunday.» «Our intelligence agencies tell us that ISIS is still the most capable and dangerous Islamic terrorist group who have already demonstrated that their intent is to strike even within the United States.»
Reed and others argue that the ambush underscores why a U.S. presence in Syria remains necessary despite political pressure from Trump’s base to reduce deployments abroad. But some Republicans counter that the attack proves the opposite — that the mission has become strategically dubious and unacceptably dangerous.
ISRAEL RELEASES BODY-CAM VIDEO OF DEADLY SYRIA RAID TARGETING MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD-AFFILIATED TERRORISTS
«The soldiers who died are obviously heroes … but the purpose of whether or not they should be there or not is a big question,» Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said on NBC’s «Meet the Press.»
Paul, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, said the attack should force a reconsideration of why U.S. troops remain in the country at all.
«A couple hundred troops in Syria are more of a trip wire than a strategic asset. I don’t think they deter war.»
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., added that U.S. troops «should not be sent to foreign countries to be killed in foreign lands like Syria… Bring our troops home!!!»
The administration, however, has indicated it intends to double down. Tom Barrack, Trump’s envoy to Syria, said the killings «underscore the need for continued cooperation» with al-Sharaa’s government.
Trump himself said al-Sharaa was «devastated» by the attack and vowed «very serious retaliation.»
But national security specialists caution that the administration may be moving too quickly to normalize ties with Syria’s new leadership. Michael Makovsky, CEO of the Jewish Institute of National Security of America (JINSA), said Washington appears reluctant to confront the fact that the shooter came from within al-Sharaa’s own security forces.
«The administration is very invested right now in Shaara, and seems to want to minimize that the killer was from Shaara’s security forces,» Makovsky said.
He warned that «a lot of bad people» remain embedded in the new Syrian institutions and that early cooperation should not come with premature sanctions relief. «His security forces have committed a lot of atrocities against minorities … I’m worried the administration is not focused on that.»
What retaliation might look like
Trump has vowed retribution for what he called «an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria.» But the White House has not clarified what specific steps it is considering.
The White House did not provide additional clarification on what types of retaliation the U.S. would pursue in response to the attack, and referred Fox News Digital back to Trump’s initial statement.
However, Trump later told reporters Monday that «they’ll be hit hard» when asked about the U.S. response. He also voiced support for al-Sharaa, and said he still has confidence in Syria’s new leader.
Sgt. William Howard (left) and Sgt. Edgar Torres-Tovar (right) died Dec. 13, 2025 in Palmyra, Syria. (Iowa National Guard)
Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the administration’s response will depend on what investigators determine about the attacker’s affiliations.
Syria’s Interior Ministry spokesman, Noureddine al-Baba, said the gunman had been scheduled to be relieved of duty Sunday after authorities identified he held «extremist» views. Al-Baba told The Associated Press that the government had been forced to recruit quickly amid severe security shortages following Assad’s ouster.
The fact that the shooter, who was ultimately shot during the attack, was part of the Syrian security forces adds another layer of complexity, Yacoubian said.
If the gunman was part of a specific cell affiliated with a group like ISIS, that could prompt the Trump administration to launch strikes targeting leadership of the respective group or the group’s infrastructure, according to Yacoubian.
Regardless, Yacoubian said that the attack raises alarms in terms of the vetting process for security forces, and will prompt the Trump administration to dramatically increase their vetting and understanding of the security forces as it continues to partner with Syrian national forces.
U.S. forces in Syria currently work in tandem with both Syrian national forces and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on efforts to counter ISIS in Syria.
Some 900 U.S. troops are stationed in Syria. (Spc. Jensen Guillory/Army)
The strategic crossroads
Dan Shapiro, former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for the Middle East, said Trump must resist the growing pressure — including from some in his base — to pull U.S. troops out of Syria.
Earlier in 2025, the administration reduced its footprint in Syria. The U.S. currently has roughly 900 U.S. troops stationed in Syria — a drop from the roughly 2,000 that were deployed in Syria following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel.
«There will undoubtedly be some calls from his base to bring troops home from Syria. He will need to resist those calls,» Shapiro said in an email to Fox News Digital Monday. «Leaving Syria when Syrian national forces are still finding their footing against ISIS and need support would almost certainly give ISIS more room to breathe. A precipitous U.S. withdrawal would also be seen as a victory for ISIS.»
Shapiro said that as the U.S. intensifies cooperation with Syrian national forces and the SDF, Syria will become increasingly dependent on U.S. intelligence to identify infiltrators or sympathizers within its ranks.
Still, Shapiro warned that U.S. forces must remain cautious because the Syrian government’s ability to follow through remains uncertain, and so the Syrian forces must prove themselves as trustworthy — or else sanctions that the Trump administration lifted in May could return, he said.
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«Trump is both going to need and expect more from Ahmed al-Sharaa, and shorten the leash at the same time,» Shapiro said. «Syria should understand that continued sanctions relief could be jeopardized unless they demonstrate clear commitment and capability to root out ISIS infiltrators.»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
syria,national security,pentagon defense
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A suspected retaliatory drone attack by pro-Iranian militias struck a major U.S. diplomatic facility in Baghdad on Tuesday, according to The Washington Post.
The newspaper said the strike hit the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, and no injuries were immediately reported.
Six drones were launched toward the compound, five of which were shot down.
The Post, citing a security official and a State Department alert, reported one drone struck near a guard tower and people at the facility were instructed to «duck and cover.»
GULF STATES INTERCEPT HUNDREDS OF IRANIAN MISSILES AND DRONES, ISSUE JOINT CONDEMNATION WITH US
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey stands with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey, Gen. James Mattis, Gen. Lloyd Austin III and Sgt. Maj. Joseph Allen following a ceremony retiring the ceremonial flag at the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center on Dec. 15, 2011. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)
«Accountability is ongoing,» the alert said.
Iraq’s ministry of defense condemned the drone and missile attacks targeting the Martyr Muhammad Alaa Air Base and the Martyr Ali Fallah Air Base in a post on X but did not mention the hit on the U.S. facility or Iran directly.
«In response to these sinful aggressions, the Ministry wishes to clarify and confirm the following facts: These air bases are fully sovereign and Iraqi, subject entirely to the authority of the state and the law, and there is no representation of any foreign forces in them under any designation,» the government account wrote.
The security official told The Washington Post the attack was likely conducted by militias affiliated with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose umbrella group of Iran-aligned Shiite armed factions that have claimed responsibility for attacks on U.S. forces in the region.
US EMBASSY STRUCK BY DRONES IN SAUDI ARABIA AS AMERICANS INSTRUCTED TO SHELTER IN PLACE
A billboard featuring a photo of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader who was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, is seen along a street in Baghdad on March 9, 2026. (Murtadha Al-Sudani/Anadolu via Getty Images)
At the start of Operation Epic Fury, the State Department had urged Americans to depart immediately from more than a dozen countries across the Middle East, warning of «serious safety risks» as the Iran war intensified.
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said on March 2 that U.S. citizens should leave Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The department said Americans who need help arranging departure via commercial means can contact the State Department 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 from abroad or +1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada.
IRAN PROXIES WAGE WAR ON ISRAEL, THREATEN US INTERESTS AS IRAQ SLAMMED FOR NOT DISARMING THEM
Protesters walk through tear gas during clashes with Iraqi security forces near a bridge leading to the Green Zone in Baghdad on March 1, 2026. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/ via Getty Images)
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Officials warned conditions in the region remain volatile, and security situations could change quickly as fighting tied to the conflict continues.
At least nine U.S. missions, including Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Israel, issued repeated shelter-in-place directives or advisories at the outset of Iran’s retaliatory attacks against U.S. forces and Israel.
iraq,war with iran,middle east,state department
INTERNACIONAL
Texas conservatives tout record-breaking school choice signups after long battle with teachers unions
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After a decades-long battle with Democrats, teacher unions, and even a few Republicans, Texas conservatives are celebrating the successful launch of what is likely to become the largest school-choice program in the country.
The Lone Star State’s school choice program, called the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, saw record-setting registrations in its first days. Within one hour of the program opening, it had already garnered 8,000 registrations. By the end of the day, it had notched 42,000 signups and three days in, it was sitting at around 62,000 signups. The program is expected to hit 100,000 by its March 17 deadline.
To Texas Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, chief administrator of the program, the program’s early success represents a win for what he called «educational freedom.»
«We figure in the State of Texas, we lead the nation in economic freedom, we might as well lead the nation in educational freedom,» he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOLS ON VERGE OF CLOSING OVER POSSIBLE TEACHERS STRIKE
The Lone Star State’s school choice program, called the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, saw record-setting registrations in its first days. (Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images; Getty Images)
School choice was a major legislative priority for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who signed the measure establishing the program into law last May. Under the program, families will receive $10,000 per year to help pay for their child’s private school tuition or costs for home-schooling and virtual learning programs. Children with disabilities can qualify for as much as $30,000 per year.
Though showing early signs of success, getting a school choice program to pass in a state the size of Texas was not easy. As a parent himself, Hancock said he has been an advocate for school choice for the last three decades.
«We got close at times in the state of Texas, where we thought the votes were there, and then we wouldn’t get there. And frankly, a couple of years ago, before Gov. Abbott got involved, I myself was like, ‘OK, I don’t know that we’re ever going to get there,’» he admitted.
While proponents believe the measure gives parents more options by allowing them to take their children out of poor-performing public schools in favor of alternative public or private school choices, others argue it pulls financial resources from Texas’ public school students and subsidizes the private education of wealthy families.
The program saw fierce opposition from the state’s leading teachers unions, including the Texas American Federation of Teachers (Texas AFT) and the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA).
Ahead of the program launching, Texas AFT issued a statement calling it a «growing billion-dollar boondoggle.»
TRUMP DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ROLLS OUT LATEST STEP TO EXPAND SCHOOL CHOICE NATIONWIDE
Gov. Greg Abbott laughs during a bill signing in the State Capitol on April 23, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
TSTA argued that Texas could not adequately fund both its public schools and the school choice program, saying, «Our underfunded public schools need all the tax dollars that lawmakers spend on K-12 education.»
In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, TSTA President Ovidia Molina vowed to «continue working to kill this expensive and discriminatory program.»
She knocked the state for «most» of the religious schools approved to participate in the program being Christian, which she said, «restrict admission or give preference to children of their own faith.» She also said that «some of these schools refuse admission to LGBTQ students.»
«These schools will use public tax dollars to discriminate against children whose families pay these tax dollars. Public schools do not discriminate. They accept every student who lives in their district, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, family income or whatever, and only public schools should receive our tax revenue,» said Molina.
Hancock, however, pushed back on the idea that the program pits public and private schools against each other. He said Texas, which operates on a constitutionally required balanced budget, was able to fund the school choice program «at the same time that we had record investment in public education and $4 billion in teacher pay, which was a record investment in going directly to paying for our teachers there within the public setting.»
MAJOR CITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS LOSING STUDENTS AS PARENTS SEEK BETTER OPTIONS
School choice was a major legislative priority for Gov. Greg Abbott, who signed the measure establishing the program into law last May. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
«We want to be number one, not only in this program, but in education as a whole, both our public schools, our charter schools, and home schools, and private schools,» he explained. «We’re willing to give that investment, and we have our eyes set on it.»
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He framed the opposition to the program as attempts to maintain the status quo and eliminate competition in education.
«It’s the standard pushback, and the reality is no change, no competition, we want the system as is, we don’t want any changes to be involved in it,» he said. «Look, I’m a businessman, and I would love it if in the business I’m in that I had limited or no competition, that I have government protections, that had government funding me, that lived within all those protections. I mean, let’s face it, who wouldn’t want those protections? But that’s not good for… the students, the children.»
«What’s the best for children is competition,» he went on.
Further, he believes the huge number of signups indicates how badly needed the program is.
«I think by opening this up and then the enormous turnout we had, the record turnout we hit, that what it shows is we’re meeting the customers’ needs and the customers are Texans.»
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
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Una mujer policía murió de un disparo en la cabeza en Brasil y su marido dijo que se suicidó: investigan si la mató
La muerte de una mujer policía de 32 años, Gisele Alves Santana, a mediados de febrero en San Pablo, Brasil, desató una ola de sospechas y contradicciones que ponen en jaque la versión inicial de que se trató de un suicidio y ahora investigan un femicidio.
El caso involucra a su esposo, el teniente coronel de la Policía Militar Geraldo Leite Rosa Neto, de 53 años, quien estaba en el departamento cuando ocurrió el disparo fatal y ahora es considerado sospechoso.
Leé también: Impactante video: una joven de 26 años cayó por la ventana de un colectivo en Brasil y murió
La decisión se tomó después de que un nuevo informe de autopsia, realizado tras la exhumación del cuerpo de la víctima a pedido de su familia.
Las pericias revelaron lesiones en el rostro y el cuello de la víctima causadas por presiones de los dedos y marcas de uñas.
Según los peritos, hay indicios de que Gisele se desmayó antes de recibir el disparo en la cabeza y de que no se defendió. Gisele Alves Santana tenía 32 años. (Foto: gentileza g1).
El horario de la muerte y las dudas sobre la versión del esposo
Una vecina declaró que escuchó un fuerte ruido a las 7:28 de la mañana del 18 de febrero, media hora antes de que el esposo llamara por primera vez a las urgencias.
En esa llamada, realizada a las 7:57, Neto afirmó: “Mi esposa es policía. Se mató con un tiro en la cabeza. Manden una ambulancia y un patrullero, por favor”.
Minutos después, a las 8:05, volvió a comunicarse, esta vez con los bomberos, y dijo que la mujer aún respiraba. Las autoridades llegaron al lugar a las 8:13.
La posición de la pistola y la escena del crimen
Según el diario Metrópoles, uno de los bomberos que atendió la emergencia declaró que “no era una típica escena de suicidio”.
El cuerpo de la mujer estaba entre el sofá y el mueble de la televisión. Según dijo, el arma estaba “bien encajada” en la mano de la víctima, de una manera que nunca había visto en casos similares.
Por lo inusual de la escena, decidió tomar fotografías. Además, notó que la sangre ya estaba coagulada cuando llegaron y que no había casquillo de bala en el lugar. Un bombero notó que la escena era sospechosa y decidió tomar fotos. (Foto: gentileza g1).
Contradicciones y la actitud fría del esposo
Geraldo afirmó que su esposa tuvo una “reacción negativa” después de que él le pidiera el divorcio y que la mujer agarró un arma y se mató.
El teniente coronel declaró que se estaba duchando cuando escuchó el disparo, pero los primeros bomberos que ingresaron al departamento aseguraron que él estaba completamente seco y que no había rastros de agua en el piso.
Un sargento con 15 años de experiencia afirmó que encontró a Neto en bermuda, sin camisa y seco. Otro oficial de la PM que llegó al lugar también señaló que ni el esposo ni la víctima parecían haberse bañado antes del disparo. Geraldo Leite Rosa Neto dijo que Gisele se suicidó cuando le pidió el divorcio. (Foto: gentileza Metrópoles).
Los rescatistas también se sorprendieron por la falta de desesperación del teniente coronel: no lo vieron llorar ni parecía alterado.
Otro bombero señaló que Neto hablaba con calma por teléfono, cuestionaba el accionar de los bomberos y exigía que la víctima fuera trasladada rápidamente al hospital.
Además, no tenía manchas de sangre en el cuerpo ni en la ropa, lo que indicaría que no intentó asistir a su esposa tras el disparo. La madre de Gisele dijo que su yerno era «abusivo» y controlador con su hija. (Foto: gentileza Metrópoles).
El testimonio de la madre de Gisele refutó la versión de su yerno. Marinalva Vieira afirmó que la pareja tenía una “relación turbulenta” y que el teniente coronel era “abusivo y violento”.
También dijo que el hombre no dejaba que su hija usara lápiz labial ni tacones altos y que controlaba sus conversaciones en las redes sociales.
La madre afirmó además que, una semana antes del incidente, su hija había pedido, en una llamada telefónica, que sus padres la fueran a buscar porque “no soportaba la presión” y quería separarse.
Llamada a un juez y movimientos sospechosos
Entre los contactos que hizo Neto esa mañana, uno llamó la atención de la familia de la víctima: llamó al juez Marco Antônio Pinheiro Machado Cogan, del Tribunal de Justicia de San Pablo.
El magistrado llegó al edificio a las 9:07 y subió al departamento con el teniente coronel. Según el abogado de la familia, José Miguel da Silva Junior, el juez fue la primera persona contactada tras el disparo y deberá explicar su presencia en el lugar.
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Las cámaras de seguridad registraron que el juez salió al pasillo a las 9:18 y que Neto apareció con otra ropa a las 9:29.
El caso, que comenzó como un supuesto suicidio, sigue bajo investigación y medios locales apuntan a la pronta detención de Neto.
Brasil tuvo un récord de femicidios en 2025 con 4 muertes por día
En 2025, una década después de aprobarse la Ley del Femicidio, Brasil alcanzó la cifra récord de 1518 víctimas, es decir, cuatro mujeres por día, según informó la agencia de noticias Agencia Brasil.
El año anterior, en 2024, el país ya había establecido un récord con 1458 víctimas, según datos oficiales del Ministerio de Justicia y Seguridad Pública.
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