What to Know
- Shannon Kent, a 35-year-old sailor from Pine Plains, New York, was among four Americans killed in a suicide bombing in Syria
- She worked as a cryptologic technician, the Navy said
- Kent enlisted in the Navy in December 2003. Her work included assignments in Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Virginia
A 35-year-old sailor from New York who was based at Fort Meade, in Maryland, was among four Americans killed in a suicide bomb attack in Syria Wednesday.
ISIS has claimed responsibility that killed Shannon M. Kent, who was from Pine Plains in Dutchess County. She worked as a cryptologic technician, the Navy said. Also killed: Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan R. Farmer, 37, of Boynton Beach, Florida; Scott A. Wirtz, of St. Louis; and a civilian contractor whom the Pentagon did not name in identifying the victims Friday.
Kent was killed in the Syrian city of Manbij, near the Turkish border, while supporting Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, the Navy said in a statement. The operation's mission is to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and increase stability in the region, according to the U.S. Central Command website.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and teammates of Chief Petty Officer Kent during this extremely difficult time. She was a rockstar, an outstanding Chief Petty Officer, and leader to many in the Navy Information Warfare Community," Naval Cmdr. Joseph Harrison, Commanding Officer, CWA-66, said in the statement.
Kent enlisted in the Navy in December 2003. Her work included assignments in Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Virginia.
The attack was the deadliest assault on U.S. troops in Syria since American forces went into the country in 2015.
It came weeks after President Donald Trump announced in a tweet on Dec. 19 that he would pull all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria because "we have defeated ISIS in Syria."
The explosion highlighted the threat posed by ISIS despite Trump's claims. It also could complicate what had already become a messy withdrawal plan, with the president's senior advisers disagreeing with the decision and then offering an evolving timetable for the removal of troops.
