The Attack on American and Syrian forces in the Palmyra Area: Preliminary Statement by Syria's Interior Ministry

An attack took place on Saturday against personnel of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State inside Syria who were holding a meeting with the Syrian government’s internal security forces in the Badiya [desert] region of central Syria near the town of Palmyra.

What follows is a transcript, based on a TV interview, of the only statement made so far on the matter by Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Nur al-Din al-Baba. His remarks suggest that the attack was committed by someone inside the security forces who at least harboured pro-Islamic State ideas.

Although supporters of the Syrian government sometimes like to throw accusations at the former regime and the SDF for reported recruitment of former Islamic State members, the fact is that the current government itself also has former Islamic State members in the ranks of its military and security forces. More broadly, there are issues with the ideological direction being given to members of the new military and security apparatuses, and as this incident demonstrates, there are likely to be some pro-Islamic State infiltrators seeking to commit attacks from within.

Below is the transcript in translation.