By Zoila Palma: An Afghan national identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been named as the suspect in the ambush shooting that critically wounded two National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Officials say Lakanwal, 29, was shot by another Guard member during the attack and taken into custody. He remains hospitalized.
The CIA confirmed Thursday that Lakanwal had previously worked with U.S. government forces, including the CIA, as part of a partner unit in Kandahar before the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Police say Lakanwal entered the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden-era humanitarian parole program that admitted tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees following the Taliban takeover.
A DHS official said his asylum request was approved in 2025, though his green card application remains pending.
Many Afghans admitted in 2021 came through special immigrant visas or temporary humanitarian programs, while thousands more later received deportation relief through Temporary Protected Status, CBS reports.
Law enforcement sources say Lakanwal had an extensive military background, having led a special forces unit within the former Afghan armed forces that worked directly with U.S. and British troops.
Police officials described the incident as an ambush carried out by a lone gunman targeting National Guard members assigned to high-visibility patrols ordered under a months-long deployment.
The post International News: Afghan evacuee who previously worked with CIA identified as suspect in D.C. National Guard ambush appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: An Afghan national identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been named as the suspect in the ambush shooting that critically wounded two National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Officials say Lakanwal, 29, was shot by another Guard member during the attack and taken into
The post International News: Afghan evacuee who previously worked with CIA identified as suspect in D.C. National Guard ambush appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.