U.S. Soldiers Killed in Syria Identified as Iowa National Guardsmen

The two soldiers killed by a solo gunman during a counterterrorism operation in Syria over the weekend have been identified as members of the Iowa National Guard, officials confirmed.

Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar were the victims of the Saturday attack, which President Donald Trump confirmed was at the hands of a terrorist associated with the Islamic State, or ISIS. 

The guardsmen’s names were released in a statement from their state’s National Guard, obtained by the New York Times. A third victim, an American civilian interpreter, has been identified by family as Ayad Sakat.

The shooting, which took place in Palmyra, also resulted in injury for three other soldiers who are “doing well,” Trump wrote on Truth Social while announcing that the United States will retaliate:

We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter. Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well. This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them. The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Like Trump, a Pentagon official emphasized that the attack unfolded in a place where Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa does not have control, Fox News reported.

The gunman was killed by “partner forces,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth wrote on X.

Howard’s stepfather, Meskwaki Nation Police Chief Jeffrey Bunn, confirmed the tragic news in a Facebook post from his department:

“My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have. Our son Nate was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, to keep us all safer,” he wrote. “He loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out, no one left behind. Please pray for our Soldiers all around this cruel world. We will see you again son, until then we have [it] from here.”

Bunn went on to call Howard, 29, a dedicated soldier who wanted to serve in the military since childhood, and stated that he has “never seen him as anything less” than his biological son.

Howard’s biological father, identified as Brian Howard of Colorado, is “devastated as we all are,” Bunn wrote. 

The deceased guardsman was a devout Christian, married, and has a younger brother who is also deployed member of the Iowa National Guard, the grieving stepfather added. 

“We were contacted by the civilian interpreter’s family and they have requested his name and photo be included in our post,” Bunn wrote, before confirming the identity of Ayad Sakat.

Torres-Tovar, 25, was confirmed as the other soldier by his father, the New York Times reported.

“They were dedicated professionals and cherished members of our Guard family who represented the best of Iowa.” Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn, the adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, said in the statement.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered all flags throughout the state to be lowered to half-staff, saying, “We are grateful for their service and deeply mourn their loss.”

“Kevin and I offer our prayers and condolences to their families and ask that Iowans stand united in support of them during this difficult time,” she stated.

Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.