New York/Washington, July 18 — The United States has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy group of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in response to its involvement in the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the designation, reinforcing America’s commitment to justice in the Pahalgam attack and to its broader counterterrorism strategy.
According to the State Department, TRF has also been labeled as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Secretary Rubio said, “This action reflects the administration’s determination to uphold President Donald Trump’s stance on justice in the Pahalgam case and safeguard our national security interests by confronting terrorism head-on.”
The terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed several civilian lives, was described as the deadliest on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai attacks carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rubio emphasized that TRF has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on Indian security forces, including one in 2024.
The Indian Embassy in Washington welcomed the decision, calling it a testament to the strong counterterrorism cooperation between India and the United States. This designation enables the US to freeze TRF’s assets under American jurisdiction and criminalize any form of support to the group, enhancing global efforts to dismantle its operational capabilities.
The move signals a clear message of solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism and increases international pressure on Pakistan-based terror networks.
