US designates Lashkar proxy TRF as terrorist group for Pahalgam attack, India welcomes move
Rubio further noted that TRF has been involved in multiple attacks on Indian security forces, with the most recent one taking place in 2024.
Rubio further noted that TRF has been involved in multiple attacks on Indian security forces, with the most recent one taking place in 2024.
Rubio further noted that TRF has been involved in multiple attacks on Indian security forces, with the most recent one taking place in 2024.
Washington: In a significant diplomatic move, the United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) for its role in the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 civilian lives in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.
In a statement issued on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the designation reaffirms the Trump administration’s commitment to “protecting national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Donald Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack”.
“The TRF and its aliases have been added to Lashkar-e-Taiba’s designation as an FTO under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as an SDGT under Executive Order 13224,” the statement added.
TRF, which initially claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack on Indian civilians since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, had later withdrawn its statement amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) identified Sheikh Sajjad Gul, the head of TRF, as the chief conspirator behind the April 22 assault.
Rubio further noted that TRF has been involved in multiple attacks on Indian security forces, with the most recent one taking place in 2024.
India welcomes US move
India welcomed the US designation, calling it a powerful signal of the growing Indo–US counter-terrorism partnership. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the move was a “strong affirmation” of the two nations’ shared commitment to fighting terrorism. In a social media post, he thanked Secretary Rubio and the US State Department for recognising TRF as a terror outfit.
“Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF, a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack,” Jaishankar wrote.
In response to the Pahalgam attack, India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Later in May, India also dispatched seven multi-party delegations to 33 world capitals, including Washington DC, to highlight Pakistan’s continued sheltering of terror networks and press for international action.
The US designation of TRF adds to mounting international pressure on Islamabad over its handling of cross-border terrorism and reaffirms global recognition of TRF as a Lashkar proxy.