New Delhi: The Resistance Front (TRF) on Saturday denied any involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack.
An affiliate of the United Nations-designated terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the TRF had claimed responsibility shortly after the April 22 massacre at the Baisaran valley.
As many as 26 non-Muslim men, mostly tourists, were shot dead in front of their near and dear ones at the picturesque location which is called ‘Mini Switzerland’.
Four days later, TRF issued a statement clarifying that it had no role in Tuesday’s brutal killings.
“TRF unequivocally denies any involvement in the Pahalgam incident. Any attribution of this act to TRF is false, hasty,” TRF said in a statement.
The obvious question would be why TRF had initially taken responsibility for the attack, and why it took them more than 72 hours to issue a denial.
The terror outfit blamed Indian cyber-intelligence for the confusion, claiming that an “unauthorised” message was posted from one of their digital platforms claiming responsibility shortly after the Pahalgam attack.
“After an internal audit, we have reason to believe it was the result of a coordinated cyber intrusion. We are conducting a full investigation to trace the breach, and early indicators suggest fingerprints of Indian cyber-intelligence operatives,” TRF added.
The TRF also released an audio clip, denying its role in the attack.
TRF, which was formed in October 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370, was in 2023 designated by the Indian government as a ‘terrorist organisation’ under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for promoting terrorism, recruiting militants, facilitating infiltration, and smuggling arms and narcotics from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir in 2023.
Large-scale protests have erupted in the Kashmir Valley since the massacre of innocent civilians in Pahalgam, as locals expressed their anger towards Pakistan and the terror groups it supports.
With India announcing a slew of punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Shehbaz Sharif’s government denied involvement and sought a neutral inquiry behind the killings.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to track and punish every terrorist and their backers, saying that they will be pursued “till the end of the Earth.”
