Today’s cowardly terrorist ambush on U.S. personnel in Syria, which claimed the lives of two brave American soldiers and a dedicated civilian interpreter, is a stark and outrageous reminder that terrorism remains a vicious and persistent threat, capable of striking even as we work to eradicate it.
 
A limited number of U.S. forces remain deployed in Syria solely to finish the job of defeating ISIS once and for all, preventing its resurgence, and protecting the American homeland from terrorist attacks. Our presence empowers capable local Syrian partners to take the fight to these terrorists on the ground, ensuring that American forces do not have to engage in another costly, large-scale war in the Middle East. We will not waver in this mission until ISIS is utterly destroyed, and any attack on Americans will be met with swift and unrelenting justice.
 
Alongside the Syrian Government, we will relentlessly pursue every individual, facilitator, financier, and enabler involved in this heinous act. They will be identified and held accountable swiftly and decisively. As President Trump has said, the United States will not tolerate threats to our people, and we will ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

We welcome the strong commitment of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who shares our ironclad resolve to identify, pursue, and hold accountable the perpetrators of this attack. Together we will eradicate terrorism in Syria.

I have been briefed on the shooting that took place at Brown University in Rhode Island. The FBI is on the scene. The suspect is in custody. God bless the victims and the families of the victims!

The Brown University Police reversed their previous statement — The suspect is NOT in custody.