NEW YORK– In a major diplomatic win for India, the United States has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a global terrorist organization, following President Donald Trump’s call for justice in the wake of the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the designation on Thursday, saying it reflects the Trump administration’s firm commitment to national security, counterterrorism, and delivering justice for the victims of the Pahalgam massacre. He confirmed that TRF has been added to both the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list and the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list.
According to the State Department, the TRF—an established front for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT)—was behind the coordinated attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, marking the deadliest act of terror against civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. LeT, which continues to receive support from elements within Pakistan, was responsible for the Mumbai massacre as well.
President Trump personally called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shortly after the Pahalgam attack, expressing strong condemnation and full U.S. support for India’s efforts to bring the attackers to justice, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised the issue prominently during his recent meetings with Secretary Rubio and at the Quad foreign ministers’ summit held in Washington. In addition, an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation led by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor traveled to Washington last month to brief U.S. lawmakers and officials on TRF’s role and connections to cross-border terrorism.
Rubio noted that TRF has also claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on Indian security forces, including several deadly incidents in 2024. One of the most violent occurred in October last year, when TRF militants killed six tunnel workers and a doctor near Sonamarg. Five others were wounded in a separate shooting at a workers’ camp.
In response to the Pahalgam massacre, India launched Operation Sindoor, a cross-border military campaign aimed at dismantling LeT infrastructure inside Pakistan.
The SDGT designation allows U.S. authorities to freeze the TRF’s assets and cut off its access to the international financial system. The FTO listing adds further sanctions, including travel bans and criminal penalties for anyone providing material support to the group.
American officials remain acutely aware of the threat posed by LeT and its proxies. During the 2008 Mumbai attacks, six U.S. citizens were among the nearly 170 killed—a tragedy that continues to shape Washington’s counterterrorism posture in South Asia. (Source: IANS)
