New Delhi: In a significant development, the United States has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF) – an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) – a Foreign Terrorist Organisation or FTO.
The TRF had initially claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, but retracted its statement later.
The US has also described the Pahalgam terror attack as the deadliest on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attack.
“Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT),” US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in a statement issued on Thursday.
TRF is also known as the Kashmir Resistance. The LeT claims that it is a group of ‘resistance’ fighters from Kashmir, but the outfit comprises hardcore terrorists from Pakistan.
The Pakistan-based LeT, accused of carrying out multiple terror attacks in India and other parts of the world – including the Mumbai terror attacks – has already been declared a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the US.
“These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack” Rubio’s statement added.
The statement also said that TRF and its associated aliases have now been officially added to Lashkar-e-Taiba’s designation as both FTO and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The designation amendments will take effect upon publication in the Federal Register.
The US had earlier supported India’s fight against terrorism during the visit by the all-party delegation on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
The Pahalgam terror attack, masterminded and carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists, resulted in the deaths of 26 innocent people – mostly tourists from across the country. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor against nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, killing over 100 terrorists.
Pakistan retaliated by carrying out missile and drone strikes on military and civilian targets in India. The four-day conflict finally ended after India carried out high-precision strikes on air bases in Pakistan, causing significant damage.
The two countries are still engaged in a diplomatic stand-off with India suspending the Indus Waters Treaty.
