The TRF had claimed responsibility for the April 22 massacre, marking one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday praised the United States’ decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The move follows the deadly April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate Marco Rubio and US state department 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. Zero tolerance for Terrorism. #OpSindoor.”
The TRF had claimed responsibility for the April 22 massacre, marking one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. In its statement, the US State Department confirmed, “TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians.”
The department further stated that TRF was behind several other attacks targeting Indian security personnel in the past year. By designating TRF, the US underscored its zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and reaffirmed its support for India’s counter-terrorism efforts.
The Indian embassy in Washington also welcomed the decision, calling it a testament to strong bilateral counter-terrorism ties. “Appreciate the department of state for listing The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. TRF is a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam. ZERO TOLERANCE for terrorism!” it said in a statement.
TRF is widely known to operate as a shadow group for Pakistan-based LeT, which has been listed as a global terrorist organisation by the United Nations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the designation aligns with the Trump administration’s efforts to counter global terrorism. “The terrorist designation 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,” he said.
In response to the Pahalgam attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, striking nine terror infrastructure locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Security forces reported neutralising over 100 terrorists during the offensive. The swift retaliation led to a brief military exchange, ending with Pakistan requesting a ceasefire on May 10.
Simultaneously, India embarked on a global diplomatic campaign, sending seven multi-party delegations to 33 international capitals—including Washington DC—to highlight Pakistan’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism.
