FBI probes motive in 'targeted' attack on National Guards near White House

Shooter, who was wounded in exchange of gunfire, identified as Afghan immigrant

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Investigators led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's joint terrorism task force sought clues on Nov 27 to what drove an Afghan immigrant to open fire on two National Guard soldiers mere blocks from the White House in what officials called an "ambush" attack on Thanksgiving eve.

The soldiers, part of a militarised law enforcement mission ordered by President Donald Trump months ago and challenged in court by officials of the District of Columbia, were in critical condition.

The suspect, who was wounded in an exchange of gunfire before he was arrested, was identified by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan.

Mr Trump, who was at his resort in Florida at the time of the attack, released a prerecorded video late on Nov 26 calling the shooting "an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror".

He said his administration would "reexamine" all Afghans who came to the US during Democrat Joe Biden's presidency.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services agency later said it has halted processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals indefinitely, "pending further review of security and vetting protocols".

According to the DHS, Lakanwal entered the US in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era programme to resettle thousands of Afghans who assisted the US and feared reprisals from Taliban forces that seized control of Afghanistan after the Americans withdrew.