(MENAFN) According to reports, US President Donald Trump denounces the shooting of two National Guard personnel in Washington, DC on Wednesday, labeling it "an act of terror."

In a video address delivered from Florida, he stresses the severity of the assault, saying "This heinous assault was an act of evil and act of hatred and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity."

Authorities say the attack occurred near the White House and involved what Trump describes as "a monstrous, ambush-style attack." The two injured Guard members are reported to be in critical condition.

Trump states that the suspect arrived in the US from Afghanistan in 2021, and vows "to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price." He adds, "I can report tonight that, based on the best available information, the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth. He was flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021."

According to earlier accounts referencing law enforcement, the alleged shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal and is currently detained.

The president argues that the country must reassess individuals who entered from Afghanistan during the Biden administration, saying "We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under (former President Joe) Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country."

He also announces that he has instructed the Pentagon to deploy another 500 troops to reinforce security in Washington, DC. Trump concludes with the pledge, "We will make America totally safe again, and we will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice."

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