WASHINGTON – On Monday, authorities identified the two Iowa National Guard soldiers who tragically lost their lives in an attack in Syria over the weekend. The U.S. military has attributed this attack to the Islamic State group.

The U.S. Army confirmed the identities of the fallen soldiers as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, from Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, from Marshalltown.

In tribute to their sacrifice, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered all flags across the state to be flown at half-staff. She expressed gratitude for their service and shared in the deep sorrow over their loss.

Additionally, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell reported that a civilian working as a U.S. interpreter was also killed in the incident. The Iowa National Guard stated that three other soldiers were injured, with two currently in stable condition and the third in good condition.

This attack poses a significant challenge to the evolving relationship between the United States and Syria following the removal of former leader Bashar Assad a year ago. The U.S. military, which is increasing its collaboration with Syrian security forces, maintains a presence of hundreds of troops in eastern Syria as part of the coalition’s efforts to combat IS.

The shooting Saturday in the Syrian desert near the historic city of Palmyra also wounded members of the country’s security forces and killed the gunman. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned amid suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, a Syrian official said.

The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said Sunday.

Al-Baba acknowledged that the incident was “a major security breach” but said that in the year since Assad’s fall, “there have been many more successes than failures” by security forces.

The Army said Monday that the incident is under investigation, but military officials have blamed the attack on an IS member.

President Donald Trump said over the weekend that “there will be very serious retaliation” for the attack and that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was “devastated by what happened,” stressing that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops.

Trump welcomed al-Sharaa, who led the lightning insurgency that toppled Assad’s rule, to the White House for a historic meeting last month.

Torres-Tovar and Howard were dedicated soldiers and “cherished members” of the Iowa National Guard family, Stephen Osborn, adjutant general, said in a statement.

“Our focus now is providing unwavering support to their families through this unimaginable time and ensuring the legacy of these two heroes is never forgotten,” Osborn said.

Howard remembered as first in, last out

Howard had wanted to be a soldier since he was a young boy, according to Jeffrey Bunn, Howard’s stepfather and chief of the Meskwaki Nation Police Department in Tama, Iowa, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northeast of Des Moines. Howard “loved what he was doing and would be the first in and last out,” Bunn wrote late Saturday in a post on the police department’s Facebook page.

Howard also was a loving husband and an “amazing man of faith,” Bunn said, adding that Howard’s younger brother, a staff sergeant in the Iowa Guard, would escort “Nate” back to Iowa.

Howard was inspired by his grandfather’s service and wanted to serve for 20 years, according to an April post on a Facebook page dedicated to sharing stories of the unit. He had already served for over 11 years.

Howard “wants his battle buddies to know he’s always there,” the post said, “whether to help or simply listen.”

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Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut and Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.