Pahalgam terror attack: US designates LeT proxy The Resistance Front as terrorist organisation
Agreeing to India’s assertions on identifying perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack, the US has designated the Pakistan-based The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
TRF, a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) front and proxy, had claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.
“The Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT),” Rubio said.
“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,” he said.
The action against the TRF comes after sustained pressure from India. In mid-May, just days after Operation Sindoor, an Indian delegation met top officials of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and gave details of the TRF.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of State in his statement said that “the Pahalgam attack was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024”.
Rubio said the action taken by the Department of State “demonstrates the Donald Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack”.
India welcomes US listing of TRF as global terrorist outfit
India on Friday welcomed the United States Department of State designating TRF as a global terrorist outfit.
“We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio in this regard," the Ministry of External Affairs said.
India has consistently emphasised the need for global cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the dismantling of terror infrastructure.
The MEA said, “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,” it said.
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