India Welcomes US Designation of Lashkar Proxy TRF as Global Terrorist Entity
New Delhi, July 18 — India on Friday welcomed the United States’ decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), calling it a strong step in global counter-terrorism efforts.
The move comes in the wake of TRF claiming responsibility for the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead — the deadliest such assault since the 2008 Mumbai attacks carried out by LeT.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar hailed the designation as a “strong affirmation” of growing India-US cooperation on counter-terrorism. In a post on social media, he extended appreciation to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department for the step.
“Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF – a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy – as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack,” Jaishankar posted on X.
In its announcement, the US State Department said TRF and its aliases have now been added under LeT’s FTO and SDGT designations in accordance with Section 219 of the US Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224. It reaffirmed the designation of Lashkar-e-Taiba as an FTO.
The State Department also highlighted that TRF has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks targeting Indian security forces, including incidents reported in 2024.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement, emphasized that the designation reflects the US administration’s commitment to combating terrorism and delivering justice for the victims of the Pahalgam attack.
“This action demonstrates our commitment to protecting national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack,” the statement said.
The Resistance Front was floated as a front group for LeT following heightened international scrutiny of Pakistan-based terror outfits and has increasingly featured in terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
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