A person familiar with the developments said earlier this week on the condition of anonymity that the city had been informed of the intention to arm the National Guard.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that National Guard troops deployed on the streets of Washington will now be given weapons as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to strictly enforce law and order. This information was given by the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Defense Department, on Friday.

The Defense Department did not immediately provide any other details about this new move or its need. This move further increases Trump’s interference in policing in the national capital. This step has been taken at a time when about 2,000 National Guard members are deployed in the city and hundreds of soldiers from several Republican-led states are due to arrive here this week.

The Pentagon and the Army said last week that the soldiers would not keep weapons with them. A person familiar with the developments, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said earlier this week that the city had been notified of the intention to arm the National Guard.