U.S. National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C., as part of what President Donald Trump said was his crackdown on crime will begin carrying weapons on Sunday night, two officials said.

The exact number of troops who would carry their weapons was fluid, but they will carry either their M17 pistols or M4 rifles, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

Hundreds of unarmed National Guard troops have been in Washington's streets for the past two weeks after Trump declared a crime emergency in the district. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth last week authorized the troops to carry weapons.

The Guard's Joint Task Force-DC said in a written statement on Sunday that its personnel would only use force "as

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