Feature: Residents in Syria's Palmyra recall tense hours after attack kills U.S. service members

Photo taken on Dec. 14, 2025 shows a street market in Palmyra, central Syria. (Str/Xinhua)

By Hummam Sheikh Ali

PALMYRA, Syria, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Residents of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra are slowly resuming daily life after a deadly shooting on Saturday left U.S. service members dead and triggered hours of heightened security and fear.

For many locals, the attack came suddenly. Mohammad al-Kabir, a Palmyra resident, said people were startled when columns of U.S. military vehicles moved through the city.

"Residents were taken aback by the presence of American forces inside Palmyra," he told Xinhua. "About half an hour after they entered the city, we heard heavy gunfire inside the Badia security branch."

The Badia branch, a former security headquarters from the Bashar government, became the scene of chaos. Al-Kabir described nearly 24 hours of intensive warplane activity over the city and the surrounding desert. "There was a high level of security tension," he said, noting widespread fear that extremist elements had infiltrated Palmyra.

The shooting, later attributed to a lone attacker linked to the Islamic State group, killed two U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian contractor, while others were wounded. The attacker was subsequently killed, officials said.

Mohammad al-Fadil, another resident, recalled hours of anxiety. "Palmyra witnessed a state of security instability after what happened inside the Badia branch," he said. "The presence of coalition warplanes flying over the city for several hours caused fear and panic. Families stayed indoors, monitoring developments as security forces tightened measures and restricted traffic."

The incident prompted Syrian authorities to launch security operations targeting suspected Islamic State cells in central Syria, particularly in desert areas long considered vulnerable to militant activity.

For Palmyra's residents, the episode was a reminder that, while large-scale battles may have faded, the shadow of insecurity persists. "People want to live normally," al-Kabir said. "When something like this happens, it brings back old fears. But stability is what everyone here hopes will last."

Palmyra, known historically as Tadmor, is a UNESCO World Heritage site in a desert oasis of central Syria. Its ruins showcase a fusion of Greco-Roman, Persian, and local Aramaic architectural styles, with records dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE.

During the Syrian Civil War, Palmyra became a flashpoint for Islamic State militants, who targeted the city's pre-Islamic heritage for propaganda. IS seized the city in May 2015, destroying key monuments including the Temple of Baalshamin, the Temple of Bel, and the Arch of Triumph.

The Bashar government forces, with Russian support, recaptured Palmyra in March 2016, though IS briefly retook it later that year. Permanent control was restored in March 2017, but significant damage remained.

The recent attack is the first major security incident in the city since the new Syrian transitional government assumed power in December 2024. ■

People walk along a street in Palmyra, central Syria, Dec. 14, 2025. (Str/Xinhua)