National Guard soldiers shot in 'attack near White House

Two National Guard soldiers were shot on Wednesday in Washington, the U.S.,  near the White House in what officials described as a targeted ambush.

The two soldiers, members of the West Virginia National Guard, were part of a "high-visibility patrol" around 2:15 p.m. ET (1915 GMT) near the corner of 17th and I streets, a few blocks from the White House.

The two members of the US National Guard who were shot in Washington, DC, are in critical condition, FBI Director Kash Patel said.

Earlier, Governor of West Virginia Patrick Morrisey said that the two men had died. However, he said later that this information needed to be verified.

Authorities said they had yet to determine a motive for the shooting.

In response to the shooting, Trump ordered 500 more guard soldiers deployed to Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. The additional troops will join about 2,200 already in the city.