In a significant move, the US has officially declared The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group. A statement was put out by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday which acknowledged that the TRF is linked to Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and was behind the April 22, 2025 attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians.
Rubio calls Pahalgam attack the ‘deadliest’ in India
Calling it the “deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks”, Rubio also noted that TRF has claimed responsibility for several other attacks, including those targeting Indian security forces in recent years.
Rubio further added that the move is part of the Trump administration’s effort to fight terrorism and support justice for the Pahalgam victims. “These actions taken by the Department of State 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,” Rubio said.
Here’s what the statement read further: “TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT’s designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register.”
India’s global outreach
The move comes after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently called for a strong and clear stand against terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin, referring to the Pahalgam attack. He noted that the United Nations Security Council had also strongly condemned the attack. He pointed out that terrorism, separatism, and extremism often go hand in hand and must be dealt with together.
Jaishankar had said that the attack in Pahalgam was carried out with the aim of damaging Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism economy and creating religious tensions. He added that the UN Security Council, which includes some SCO members, had condemned the incident and stressed the need to punish those responsible, including the attackers, planners, and funders. He said India has taken action and will keep doing so.
In response to the Pahalgam attack, India carried out Operation Sindoor early on May 7. The operation targeted nine terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Later in May, India sent multiple delegations made up of leaders from different political parties to visit 33 major cities around the world, including Washington. The goal was to inform other countries about Pakistan’s connection to terrorism and seek global support.