The United States Department of State on Thursday designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a front group of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the group behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
Founded in 2019, shortly after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir (J-K), TRF is a part of broader Pakistan’s ISI-backed disinformation and hybrid warfare and targets civilians, minorities, tourists and security forces, according to sources.
Sources said that the outfit employs ex-SSG commandos (Hashim Musa) of the Pakistan Army as part of its tactics to launch terror attacks.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-backed militant Proxy in Kashmir, focuses on terror attacks, recruitment and propaganda, they said.
Its key leadership, including founder Muhammad Abbas Sheikh and Basit Ahmed Dar, Operational Chief, is dead. Its Supreme Commander, Sheikh Sajjad Gul, is reportedly active, sources added.
There are also reports that the headquarters of the TRF may be shifting from Muridke to Bahawalpur in Pakistan.
Reacting to the designation, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Friday welcomed the US decision, calling it a “strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.”
“Appreciate SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for terrorism,” Jaishankar posted on the social media platform X.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that TRF, which is a known proxy of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, under US anti-terrorism laws, had claimed responsibility for the Pahalagam terror attack.
The April 22 attack in the tourist spot in Jammu and Kashmir had claimed the lives of 26 civilians and triggered the four-day military escalation between India and Pakistan. In light of this, the US accorded the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
The US said the attack was the deadliest civilian attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, also carried out by LeT.
The US State Department further stated that TRF has also been involved in multiple attacks on Indian security forces in recent years, including in 2024.
The decision, the US government stated, underlined the Trump administration’s continued commitment to global counter-terrorism.
“These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack,” the statement read.
“TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT’s designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register,” it added.
The Indian embassy in Washington lauded the US decision in a statement, saying, “Another demonstration of strong India-USA counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate the Department of State for listing The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist.”
“TRF is a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam. ZERO TOLERANCE for terrorism!” the Indian embassy stated.
Earlier this week, EAM Jaishankar had highlighted the Pahalgam attack at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin, calling for an uncompromised global stance against terrorism.
Jaishankar highlighted that three evils have taken over the world: “Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism,” which he believes often occur together. (ANI)
