Afghan Terrorist Who Shot D.C. National Guard Members Shouted, "Allahu Akbar"

The flag of Afghanistan is now the flag of the Taliban following the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Rahmanullah Lakanwal was brought to the U.S. from Afghanistan as a refugee.

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Afghan National Suspect Shouts 'Allahu Akbar' in Attack on National GuardsmenWASHINGTON, D.C. — In a brazen midday assault that sent shockwaves through the nation's capital, a 29-year-old Afghan national opened fire on three U.S. National Guard members near the White House, critically wounding two and prompting a swift counterattack from the soldiers themselves. The suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, reportedly shouted the phrase "Allahu Akbar" during the gunfire, fueling early speculation of a terrorist motive as federal investigators descend on the scene.The violence erupted around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday near the Farragut West Metro station, just two blocks from the White House, according to multiple law enforcement sources. Lakanwal, who entered the United States in 2021 as part of Operation Allies Welcome—the Biden administration's evacuation effort following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan—allegedly wielded a revolver in the targeted ambush on the uniformed Guardsmen from the West Virginia National Guard.

The Guardsmen were on duty amid heightened security in the capital, though specifics of their assignment remain under wraps.

Eyewitness accounts and initial reports from the scene paint a chaotic picture: Lakanwal approached the group and unleashed a barrage of shots, striking two Guardsmen in what authorities described as a deliberate act.

As the gunfire rang out, the suspect was heard yelling "Allahu Akbar"—an Arabic phrase meaning "God is great," often invoked in moments of religious fervor but infamously associated with Islamist extremist attacks worldwide.

The FBI has classified the incident as a potential act of terrorism, though officials cautioned that the motive investigation is in its nascent stages, with no definitive conclusions yet drawn.

In a remarkable display of heroism amid the mayhem, a third Guardsman—unarmed with a firearm—tackled Lakanwal and stabbed him with a pocket knife, buying precious seconds before a fourth soldier arrived and returned fire, striking the assailant multiple times.

 Metropolitan Police and U.S. Secret Service agents quickly converged, taking the wounded suspect into custody without further incident. Lakanwal was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he remains under guard; his condition has not been publicly disclosed.The two injured Guardsmen were transported to area hospitals in critical but stable condition, sources said, while the stabbing victim and the shooter who neutralized the threat sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

The White House was briefly locked down as a precaution, with President Joe Biden receiving a briefing on the unfolding crisis from his national security team.Lakanwal's path to the U.S. has already ignited fierce partisan debate. Arriving four years ago under the humanitarian parole program designed to aid Afghan allies fleeing Taliban rule, the suspect is accused by critics of overstaying his visa and slipping through vetting gaps in the post-withdrawal refugee influx.

Conservative voices, including incoming Vice President JD Vance, swiftly pointed fingers at the Biden-Harris administration's immigration policies, with Vance invoking his own 2021 warnings about risks posed by the Afghan evacuation.

On the left, some Democrats deflected, attributing the Guardsmen's presence to recent deployments ordered by President-elect Donald Trump for unspecified security enhancements in D.C.

Trump himself condemned the shooting as an "act of terror" in a rapid statement from Mar-a-Lago, vowing to bolster National Guard protections and accelerate deportations upon his January inauguration.

"This is what happens when you let dangerous people in unchecked," Trump posted on Truth Social. "We will make America safe again—starting now." 17GEN4.com