TRF emerged after abrogation of Article 370 in 2019
With the US on Friday designating The Resistance Front (TRF) as a foreign terrorist organisation and a specially designated global terrorist entity, citing its direct involvement in the Pahalgam massacre where 26 civilians were killed by terrorists, the blacklisting marked the culmination of its journey in a short span of less than six years of its existence.
TRF, according to sources, emerged in the aftermath of the Centre’s abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. As per the analysis by security agencies, it is just a repackaged version of the globally proscribed terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).
The Indian Government had officially designated TRF as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in January 2023.
A proxy of the LeT, it was created to give militancy in Kashmir a more “localised” appearance, intelligence sources informed further. TRF was founded in October 2019 with Sheikh Sajjad Gul as its supreme commander and Basit Ahmed Dar as its chief operational commander.
Security experts describe its formation as a textbook example of Pakistan’s longstanding modus operandi — rebranding terror outfits to escape international scrutiny and maintain plausible deniability, while continuing its strategy of cross-border terrorism under the garb of local resistance.
On April 22, 2025, TRF perpetrated a heinous terror attack in the Pahalgam region of J&K, targeting Indian civilians and soldiers alike. This brutal massacre was not an isolated act, but part of a larger Pakistan-orchestrated strategy to destabilise the region and project a false narrative of indigenous rebellion.
Intelligence intercepts, human sources and forensic digital trail clearly pointed to TRF acting on direct instructions from the Pakistani military establishment, particularly army chief General Asim Munir. The timing of the attack—coinciding with rising domestic unrest in Pakistan and global criticism of Munir’s crackdown on democratic forces—revealed the true objective: deflection and diversion, according to inputs provided by security agencies to the government.
Major terror attacks
Apart from the Pahalgam attack, some of the other major terror attacks in which TRF has been involved include:
June 9, 2024: Reasi terror attack, where nine persons were killed and 33 injured after a bus carrying pilgrims from Shiv Khori shrine was attacked. LeT link was suspected, but was initially claimed by TRF.
October 20, 2024: Ganderbal (Sonamarg) incident, where seven persons including a doctor and six migrant labourers were killed at Z-Morh tunnel. TRF had claimed retaliation against military infrastructure expansion.
September 13, 2023: Anantnag (Kokernag) incident, where three persons, including an Army Colonel, a Major and DSP, were killed in an ambush. It was a retaliation for killing of an LeT operative Riyaz Ahmed.
July 8, 2020: Bandipora incident, where three persons, including a BJP leader, were shot dead at their residence. TRF had called them “political stooges”.
The leadership
Muhammad Abbas Sheikh: The founder and first chief of TRF. He was previously associated with Hizbul Mujahideen. He played a significant role in establishing TRF as a separatist organisation involved in the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. He was killed in an encounter with Indian security forces on August 23, 2021.
Basit Ahmed Dar: Following Abbas Sheikh’s death, Basit Ahmed Dar, also known as Abu Kamran, became the chief operational commander of TRF. He was one of the most-wanted militants in the Kashmir valley with a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. He was killed by Indian security forces on May 7, 2024, in an encounter in the Kulgam district of Kashmir.
Sheikh Sajjad Gul: Currently, Sheikh Sajjad Gul serves as the supreme leader of TRF. He has been designated as a terrorist under the UAPA and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has placed a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head.
Despite its cosmetic identity, TRF operates under the logistical, financial and operational command of LeT. Its leadership, arms procurement, training modules and safe houses are identical to LeT’s infrastructure—most of it based in Pakistan-occupied territories and aided by Pakistan’s ISI.
Intelligence sources said the reason behind the name TRF is a strategic one as it has been coined to avoid scrutiny by FATF and evade international bans. It is also named thus to gain sympathy and significantly to portray terrorism as a grassroots movement rather than as a foreign conspiracy.
J & K