In a significant update, the United States on Thursday designated The Resistance Front (TRF), the group responsible for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move, reiterating the Trump administration’s strong counterterrorism record and its commitment to global justice.
“TRF and related alias names have been included in LeT’s FTO and SDGT designation under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also considered and continued LeT’s FTO designation,” Rubio said.
TRF’s Involvement in Fatal Civilian Attack
Rubio highlighted TRF’s involvement in the attack on April 22 on civilians in Pahalgam, a tourist town, and killed 26 individuals, the majority of them tourists. Rubio compared this attack with the 2008 Mumbai attack, both planned by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), to which TRF is connected.
EAM Dr S Jaishankar tweets, “A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate Secretary Marco Rubio and the US Department of State for designating TRF – a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy – as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated… pic.twitter.com/Pab0pO1ZX8
— ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025
“This (Pahalgam attack) was the most deadly attack on civilians in India after the 2008 Mumbai attacks by LeT. TRF has also taken responsibility for a few attacks against Indian security forces, the latest being in 2024,” he said.
Rubio stressed the designation is in line with Washington’s priority in safeguarding US national security, curbing terrorism, and answering President Donald Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam victims.
India Retaliates with Operation Sindoor
As a retaliation to the attack, India conducted Operation Sindoor on May 7 against nine terror infrastructure locations in Pakistan and PoK. Indian forces killed more than 100 terrorists in targeted strikes along the border.
The attack resulted in a sporadic but heavy battle with Pakistan, with Islamabad responding by firing missiles and drones into Indian borders for several days. Indian troops effectively repelled the attacks and retaliated with equal force.
The battle raged on until May 10, when Pakistan called for a ceasefire due to heavy casualties and increasing worldwide pressure.
India Seeks Global Support Against Terrorism
To mobilize international opinion and bring attention to Pakistan’s supposed backing of terror groups, India sent seven multi-party teams to 33 world capitals in late May, including Washington, London, and Paris.
These missions were intended to share proof of Pakistan’s connections with the likes of TRF and LeT, substantiating the necessity for unified global action against cross-border terror.
