U.S. designates TRF as Foreign Terrorist Group, India welcomes move

New Delhi, July 18: In a move welcomed by India, the United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The group had claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilian tourists, an incident India has strongly linked to cross-border terrorism sponsored from Pakistan.

Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar described the U.S. decision as a powerful affirmation of the deepening cooperation between the two countries in combating terrorism.

Dr S Jaishankar posted on social media platform X: “Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF—a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack.”

The U.S. State Department’s designation underscores growing international recognition of India’s longstanding concerns regarding Pakistan-backed terrorist groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir under new aliases. TRF, although projected as a local militant outfit, has been widely identified by intelligence agencies as a rebranded front of LeT meant to obscure its Pakistani origins.

The April 22 attack, which targeted unarmed tourists in the popular hill resort of Pahalgam, had drawn sharp condemnation from both domestic and international quarters. The latest designation by the U.S. government is expected to bolster global efforts to isolate terror outfits operating in Jammu and Kahmir.

India has consistently raised the issue of terrorism emanating from Pakistan in multilateral forums, and the TRF’s inclusion in U.S. terrorism lists is seen in Delhi as a diplomatic win that strengthens its case. The designation imposes legal and financial restrictions on the group and its operatives, limiting their global reach and resources. It also reinforces collaborative frameworks such as the India-U.S. Counterterrorism Joint Working Group, which continues to prioritise dismantling terrorist networks in South Asia.