Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday rejected any link between Afghanistan and the recent shooting of US National Guard members in Washington, DC, saying the act was an individual crime committed by a person trained and brought to the United States by American authorities.
Muttaqi’s remarks mark the Taliban government’s first official response to the incident, which took place last week when Afghan immigrant Rahmanullah Lakanwal allegedly opened fire on National Guard personnel, killing one soldier and critically injuring another. The attack quickly drew national attention in the United States, where the suspect’s immigration history has become politically charged.
Lakanwal, who appeared virtually in court from a hospital bed on Tuesday, has been formally charged with murder and several related offences. US officials have confirmed that he previously served in a CIA-backed Afghan paramilitary unit before being evacuated to the United States in 2021 under President Joe Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome programme, designed to protect Afghans at risk after the Taliban takeover.
Speaking in Kabul, Muttaqi stressed that the shooting “has nothing to do with the honourable people of Afghanistan or the Afghan government,” insisting that the suspect acted completely on his own. He further argued that responsibility lay with the United States, saying, “This is an individual criminal act, and the person who committed it was trained by the Americans themselves.”
Muttaqi accused Washington of bringing Lakanwal to the United States “through an illegal process, contrary to any international standard,” and suggested that the US now bore full responsibility for his actions. His comments add to the growing debate surrounding the case, which has already become a focal point in former president Donald Trump’s tightened immigration agenda.
Lakanwal, who was granted asylum during Trump’s term, has become the center of renewed scrutiny as political leaders argue over the vetting process used for Afghans evacuated during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The case continues to draw attention in both Kabul and Washington as investigations and legal proceedings move forward.
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