New Delhi/Washington, July 18: Closely aligning with India’s assessment, the United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF)—a Pakistan-based proxy of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT)—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The designation follows TRF’s claim of responsibility for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that left 26 civilians dead.
“This designation reflects our firm resolve to counter terrorism and uphold justice for victims,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday. “The Pahalgam attack was the deadliest on Indian civilians since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, both carried out by LeT.”
Rubio added that TRF, along with its aliases, has been included under the FTO and SDGT list in accordance with Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224. “We are also maintaining the designation of LeT as an FTO and SDGT after a comprehensive review,” he said.
India had intensified its diplomatic outreach after the Pahalgam attack, particularly in the weeks following Operation Sindoor. In mid-May, a high-level Indian delegation submitted detailed evidence on TRF’s activities to senior officials at the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate.
The Ministry of External Affairs welcomed Washington’s decision on Friday, saying, “We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio in designating TRF as a global terrorist organization.”
Rubio stated that the Trump administration is committed to “protecting US national security, countering global terrorism, and ensuring justice for the victims of the Pahalgam massacre.”
TRF has emerged in recent years as a front for LeT, often used to mask the group’s direct involvement in attacks inside India. Intelligence agencies have linked TRF to multiple strikes targeting Indian security forces, including operations in 2024.
While India has long asserted that TRF functions as a rebranded Lashkar outfit to escape international scrutiny, this formal US designation gives new diplomatic momentum to India’s push for international recognition of cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan.
