Three US military personnel, including two army soldiers and a civilian interpreter, were killed on Saturday after a suspected Islamic State (IS) attacker targeted a joint American-Syrian convoy in central Syria, the US military said.

US Central Command said three additional US soldiers sustained injuries in the attack, which took place in the town of Palmyra. The command said a lone gunman opened fire while US troops were carrying out what it described as a “key leader engagement”.

IS did not immediately claim responsibility. However, a senior US official said early assessments point to the armed group as the likely perpetrator. The official added that the attack occurred in an area outside Syrian government control.