Suspect in Washington DC shooting of two soldiers worked with CIA in Afghanistan

The suspected shooter of two national guard members in Washington DC on Wednesday worked with CIA-backed military units during the US war in Afghanistan, the agency has confirmed.

- Edward Helmore

The alleged gunman, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, came to the US in September 2021 under an Operation Allies Welcome programme that gave some Afghans who had worked for the US government entry visas to the US.

Lakanwal's ties to the CIA, which worked alongside US special forces in Afghanistan, were confirmed by the CIA's director, John Ratcliffe, on Wednesday.

The New York Times reported that the shooting suspect had worked for several US government agencies in Afghanistan, including a CIA-backed unit in the southern province of Kandahar, a stronghold of the Taliban.

"The Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the US government, including CIA," Ratcliffe told Fox News digital, adding that Lakanwal's involvement with the agency was "as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation".