Rahmanullah Lakanwal May Have Been ‘Blackmailed’ by Taliban Before National Guard Shooting: Report

(Photo by Bryan Dozier/NurPhoto via AP)

The Afghan suspect in the shooting two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., may have been blackmailed into carrying out the attack by the Taliban, a lead currently being pursued by intelligence officials.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is facing first-degree murder charges after allegedly opening fire on West Virginia service members just blocks from the White House on November 26, killing 20-year-old Army specialist Sarah Beckstrom and critically injuring Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe.

But an unnamed intelligence source cited by The Daily Beast in its newsletter says investigators are exploring whether Lakanwal was threatened by Taliban operatives who could target his family in Afghanistan if he refused.

“It is by no means our only line of inquiry,” the unnamed intelligence source told the outlet, adding: “People in this country have no idea about the level of stress these people are under.”

The Beast reported that the Taliban has established a unit known as “Yarmouk 60,” tasked with hunting down Afghans who aided the United States during operations there.

According to one source, a member of the UK-backed “Afghan Triples” unit managed to flee to Germany, believing his family would eventually join him, but fighters from “Yarmouk 60” allegedly killed his wife, father, and four children instead.

Lakanwal, a married father-of-five, worked alongside US Special Forces as a GPS specialist, had reportedly feared financial ruin and the risk of being sent back to Afghanistan.

President Donald Trump and prominent MAGA allies branded him a “monster” and “terrorist,” arguing the attack could lead to the death penalty.

The White House, meanwhile, has sparred with critics over how Lakanwal entered and remained in the country under overlapping Biden and Trump immigration decisions.