The United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in response to the 22 April terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 people.
Announcing the decision on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “This action demonstrates 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.”
“TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the 22 April attack, which killed 26 civilians,” Rubio said, adding that it was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT.
India has welcomed the US decision, calling it a “timely and important step” in the ongoing global effort against terrorism.
“The Government of India welcomes the decision of the United States Department of State to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Mr Marco Rubio in this regard,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
The MEA said that TRF is a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, involved in numerous terror-related activities, including the heinous 22 April attack in Pahalgam, for which it had twice claimed responsibility.
“India has consistently emphasised the need for global cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the dismantling of terror infrastructure. The designation of TRF is a timely and important step reflecting the deep cooperation between India and the United States on counter-terrorism. India remains committed to a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and will continue to work closely with its international partners to ensure that terrorist organisations and their proxies are held accountable,” the statement added.
External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar also lauded the move, calling it a strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said: “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 22 April Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for terrorism. #OpSindoor.”
Earlier this week, Jaishankar, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin, emphasised the importance of taking an uncompromised stance against terrorism, citing the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack, which was condemned by the UN Security Council.