The civilian interpreter who tragically lost his life in Palmyra, Syria over the weekend has been identified as Ayad Mansoor Sakat.

Sakat, aged 54, hailed from Bakhdida, Iraq. He served as an interpreter for the U.S. Army during the Iraq invasion, spanning from 2003 to 2007.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump participated in a solemn ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The event honored Sakat and two Iowa National Guard soldiers who perished in the Syrian attack.

The Department of the Army identified the fallen soldiers as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, from Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, from Marshalltown, Iowa. Both soldiers were involved in supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.

A U.S. Army carry team was seen transporting the transfer case holding the remains of Ayad Mansoor Sakat, the U.S. civilian who died in Syria on Saturday, December 13, 2025. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Dina Qiryaqoz)

Torres-Tovar and Howard were assigned to 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa National Guard.

The Army said the incident remains under investigation.

The service members had been conducting a key leader engagement with local partners in support of ongoing counter-ISIS operations.

A U.S. Army member closes the door of a vehicle carrying flag-draped transfer cases during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Dec. 17, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

A Pentagon official told Fox News Digital the attack occurred in an area outside the control of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and that initial assessments indicate it was likely carried out by ISIS.

Sakat is survived by his wife, Manahel Daau, and their children: Zeena, Leena, Dina, and Farah.