The brother of alleged DC gunman Rahmanullah Lakanwal was a platoon leader in the same elite CIA-backed “Zero Unit” as his sibling, an ex-official in that squad said Thursday.
Lakanwal, 29, and his brother both served in the southern province of Kandahar, said a resident of the eastern province of Khost who identified himself as a cousin of the accused shooter, according to The Associated Press.
While Lakanwal began as a security guard for the unit in 2012, he later ascended to a team leader and GPS specialist, said the cousin who did not want to be publicly identified.
The former official from the unit, who also did not want to be identified, said Lakanwal’s brother was a platoon leader, AP reported.
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Sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News Lakanwal has a brother in the United States.
He has not been officially identified and has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Lakanwal came to the US with his wife and five kids during the hasty withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan in 2021.
Lakanwal, who relocated to Washington state, allegedly drove across the country to Washington, DC, where he opened fire on two West Virginia National Guard members, killing Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounding Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, according to authorities.
The suspect was shot and wounded when another National Guard member returned fire. He’s facing first-degree murder and related federal charges.
The Zero Unit that Lakanwal was in received backing from the CIA and was involved in clandestine operations during the war in Afghanistan.
While known for covert missions, the paramilitary units also faced allegations of human rights abuses and were dubbed by activists as “Death Squads.”
The units played a pivotal role in the abrupt withdrawal by US forces in 2021 by providing security around Kabul International Airport.
