Two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter have been killed in Syria in an ambush by a lone Islamic State gunman, the US military has said.

Officials said three other service members were injured in the attack, during which the gunman was “engaged and killed”.

The identities of those killed are being withheld for 24 hours until their next of kin have been informed, the US Central Command said.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said: “Let it be known, if you target Americans – anywhere in the world you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”

The ambush occurred in Palmyra, located in the centre of the country, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.

A Pentagon official said: “This attack took place in an area where the Syrian president does not have control.”

They added that initial assessements showed the attack was likely to be carried out by the Islamic State group.

Syria recently joined an international coalition to combat IS and has pledged to co-operate with the US.

Last month, President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Donald Trump at the White House in a visit that the Syrian leader said was part of a “new era” for the two countries.

The global coalition is aimed at eliminating the remaining elements of the so-called Islamic State and stemming the flow of foreign militants to the Middle East.