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In a significant move underscoring deepening India–US counter-terrorism cooperation, the United States has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF) a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
The designation comes in the wake of the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu & Kashmir that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including 25 tourists.
In a statement released Friday, the US State Department confirmed that TRF, a known front for LeT, was behind the Pahalgam attack, marking it as the deadliest terror incident targeting civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
“The Resistance Front, a front and proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians. TRF has also claimed multiple attacks on Indian security personnel, including throughout 2024,” the statement read.
The move reflects Washington’s commitment to confronting terrorism globally and stands as a clear rejection of Pakistan’s recent denials regarding the existence of TRF and the activities of LeT. The US further stated that the decision to designate the group also aligns with President Trump’s directive to seek accountability for the Pahalgam massacre.
India Welcomes US Stand
India’s Ministry of External Affairs welcomed the decision, calling it a “timely and important step” that reinforces the strategic anti-terror partnership between New Delhi and Washington.
“This designation reflects the growing convergence between India and the United States in combating transnational terrorism. We particularly appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio in this regard,” the MEA said in a statement.
TRF: Terror in a New Mask
Formed in 2019 amid Pakistan’s heightened scrutiny under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), ‘The Resistance Front’ was crafted by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, as part of a strategy to rebrand banned terrorist organisations. The goal: evade international blacklists while continuing cross-border terrorism under the surface of a homegrown Kashmiri insurgency.
Despite the adoption of a non-religious name, TRF remains deeply tied to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba—both operationally and ideologically. Its formation coincided with Pakistan’s effort to demonstrate compliance with global counter-terror mandates while quietly sustaining militant activities in Jammu & Kashmir.
Security officials in India have long maintained that TRF is a façade designed to confuse attribution, gain public sympathy, and maintain plausible deniability for Pakistan’s terror apparatus.
Leadership & Structure
While Hafiz Saeed remains the de facto head of LeT and its offshoots, TRF operations are overseen by Sajid Gul, who originally hails from Srinagar but is currently believed to be based in Islamabad. Gul, who also goes by the alias Saifullah Khalid, maintains close ties with Pakistan’s military and intelligence services.
Supporting him are operational commanders such as Umar Sofian (Jammu region), Abu Anas (Kashmir), and Abdul Aziz Alvi, a Pakistani national coordinating cross-border operations.
LeT’s central command structure—including Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, and Arif Qasmani—continues to provide strategic oversight to TRF, including arms smuggling, training, and propaganda.
Pakistan’s Denial Falls Flat
Shortly after TRF claimed the Pahalgam attack in April, it attempted to retract its statement, alleging that its social media channels had been “hacked” by Indian intelligence agencies. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif followed suit, denying TRF’s existence altogether and claiming that LeT was defunct.
However, the US designation, backed by intelligence assessments and forensic evidence, directly contradicts Islamabad’s narrative and further isolates it diplomatically.
Strategic Message to Pakistan
The US action is widely seen as a strategic win for India in its global campaign to expose Pakistan’s role in sponsoring cross-border terrorism. The formal acknowledgement of TRF’s links to LeT and its handlers in the Pakistani military sends a clear message: terror rebranding will no longer shield perpetrators from international accountability.
Security analysts also believe the designation strengthens the legitimacy of India’s counter-terror operations, including recent efforts under “Operation Sindoor” to dismantle terrorist launchpads across the Line of Control.
The designation of TRF as a global terrorist group may trigger financial sanctions, travel bans, and greater scrutiny of Pakistan’s counter-terror commitments under FATF guidelines. More importantly, it marks a turning point in India–US cooperation, where intelligence-sharing, sanctions enforcement, and counter-terror diplomacy are now more tightly aligned.
As terrorism in Kashmir evolves through deceptive new identities, the TRF episode underscores an old truth: the source remains unchanged.
Team BharatShakti
