Brother of alleged DC gunman Rahmanullah Lakanwal was a platoon leader in elite CIA-backed ‘Zero Unit,’ ex-squad official says

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 Friday.

Lakanwal, 29, and his brother both served in the southern province of Kandahar, said a resident of the region who identified himself as a cousin of the accused shooter, according to The Associated Press.

Follow the latest on the National Guard shooting in Washington, DC:

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.

The brother also lives in the United States, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News.

Lakanwal came to the US with his wife and five kids during the hasty withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan in 2021.