Reuters quoted two U.S. officials saying that some of the 10,000 National Guard troops due to be deployed into Washington D.C to help secure the area ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration will be armed.
The decision by U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy comes as the FBI is preparing fro potential armed protests reportedly planned for Washington in the run-up to the Jan. 20 inauguration.
The U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not say how many would be armed but noted that Guard troops helping secure the Capitol building would have weapons.
One of the officials explained that the troops would not be the first line of defense and would be supporting law enforcement agencies, but given the threat around the Capitol, troops needed to be equipped with their weapons for self defense.
One week ago, hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building as Congress was in session to certify Biden's win, battling with police, forcing lawmakers to flee for safety and leaving five dead.
The National Guard has been authorized to send up to 15,000 troops to Washington, and tourists have been barred from visiting the Washington Monument until Jan. 24.
Earlier on Monday, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Daniel Hokanson, told reporters that he expected about 10,000 troops in Washington by Saturday to help provide security, logistics and communications.
U.S. law enforcement agencies securing the presidential inauguration swearing-in ceremony dramatically scaled up their budgets following the Capitol riot last week.
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