Donald Trump on Wednesday denounced an "act of terrorism" and promised to strengthen his anti-immigration policies after shootings attributed to an Afghan man seriously injured two National Guard troops deployed in Washington.

"This heinous attack was an infamous act, an act of hate and an act of terrorism," President Trump said in a televised address shortly after the attack.

The suspect is an Afghan national who worked with the US armed forces in Afghanistan before being exfiltrated to the United States, US media reported.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told X that this "depraved individual" was admitted to the United States in September 2021, a month after the hasty withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan during the presidency of Democrat Joe Biden.

According to Fox News, the 29-year-old suspect had worked with the US military and the CIA in Afghanistan.

American media identified him as Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

The shootings targeting National Guard troops took place Wednesday afternoon in the heart of the American capital, which has been occupied since August by hundreds of these reserve soldiers to conduct foot patrols, at the request of the American president and against the advice of local Democratic authorities.

The two soldiers hit, from West Virginia, are "seriously injured" and the suspected shooter is also "severely injured," Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social network, calling the perpetrator an "animal" who "will pay dearly" for his act.

"Our prayers are with these brave members of the armed forces, their families and the entire Guard community," wrote West Virginia Republican Governor Patrick Morrisey on X.

From Florida, where he is spending Thanksgiving, Donald Trump has launched a vehement tirade against immigration, which he described as "the greatest threat to national security," accusing his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden (2021-2025) of having allowed "millions" of foreigners into the United States.

The Republican president said his administration now needs to "re-examine" the case of all individuals who came from Afghanistan when Joe Biden was in office.

Shortly after his address, USCIS, a federal agency in charge of immigration, indicated on its social networks the immediate and indefinite suspension of "the processing of all immigration applications concerning Afghan nationals", "pending a further review of security and verification protocols".

AfghanEvac, an organization tasked with helping Afghans settle in the United States after the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan, defended itself, claiming to conduct "some of the most thorough security checks" in immigration matters.

- "Targeted fire" -

This is the worst attack against the National Guard since its deployment in recent months to Democratic cities.

At approximately 2:15 p.m. (7:15 p.m. GMT), "a suspect arrived at the street corner, raised his firearm, and fired at National Guardsmen" on patrol, said Jeffery Carroll, a Washington police official, during a press conference, referring to a "lone gunman."

Other national guardsmen "managed" to "subdue him and arrest him," he added.

"The shots were targeted," said Muriel Bowser, the Democratic mayor of Washington, during the same press conference.

The two servicemen are in "critical condition," FBI Director Kash Patel insisted to the cameras.

Washington police also stated that they were currently "unaware of any motive".

The White House, for its part, accused the Democratic opposition of having "demonized" the soldiers by criticizing their deployment.

At the scene of the shooting, an office district two blocks from the White House, AFP journalists saw a person dressed in a military uniform being evacuated on a stretcher.

Mohammed Elkattabi had just visited the White House with his family when he "saw a lot of cops and police cars speeding by." "We saw two stretchers," he told AFP.

The political climate is very tense in the United States, shaken in early September by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a young ultraconservative influencer and ally of the president, who himself was the victim of an assassination attempt during the 2024 presidential campaign.

In recent months, the president has sent the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, against the advice of local Democratic authorities, saying these reinforcements were necessary to combat crime and illegal immigration.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday the deployment of 500 additional troops to Washington, bringing their total to more than 2,500.