The United States has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). This move follows the recent deadly attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The attack has been described by U.S. officials as the deadliest assault on Indian civilians since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, also attributed to LeT.
In a statement released on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the designation of TRF not only as an FTO but also as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The decision underscores Washington’s growing concern over rising terror activities linked to Pakistan-based outfits and signals a stronger stance in countering cross-border terrorism in South Asia.
The Resistance Front, also referred to as Kashmir Resistance, initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. However, in a surprising reversal, the group later denied its involvement, sparking speculation about internal coordination and strategic misinformation within militant networks operating in the region.
Lashkar-e-Taiba, from which TRF emerged, has long been on the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organisations and is accused of orchestrating multiple attacks across India, most notably the 2008 Mumbai terror siege that left over 170 people dead. The designation of TRF adds another layer of international pressure on Pakistan to act against terror groups operating from its soil.
