New Delhi, July 18: The United States has officially 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 move comes in response to the deadly April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announcing the decision on Thursday, said, “This action demonstrates 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.” He added that the TRF’s role in the attack marked the deadliest assault on Indian civilians since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by LeT.
India has strongly welcomed the decision, terming it a “timely and important step” in the global fight against terrorism. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “The Government of India welcomes the decision of the United States Department of State to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).”
The MEA highlighted that TRF, a front for LeT, has been responsible for multiple terror-related incidents, including the heinous Pahalgam attack, for which it had twice claimed responsibility. The statement underscored India’s longstanding call for greater international collaboration to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and hold terror networks accountable.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar also praised the US move, calling it a “strong affirmation” of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. In a post on X, he wrote, “Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF — a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy — as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)… Zero tolerance for terrorism. #OpSindoor.”
The announcement follows Dr. Jaishankar’s recent remarks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Tianjin, where he reiterated the need for an uncompromising global stand against terrorism, citing the Pahalgam attack as a stark reminder.
