US declares Lashkar offshoot behind Pahalgam attack as terror organisation
Marco Rubio describes The Resistance Front as a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba
The Resistance Front initially claimed responsibility but later backtracked
This comes as after the attack, the Pakistan government, with the backing of China, successfully lobbied against any mention of TRF from an UN Security Council statement condemning the brutal terror attack in India.
The United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization for its involvement in the Pahalgam attack in Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians.
In a statementon Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)".
The US officials have also described the Pahalgam attack as the deadliest terror strike on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai strikes carried out by Lashkar.
The Resistance Front (TRF), which is also known as Kashmir Resistance, had claimed responsibility for the attack in Pahalgam. However, a few days later, the terror group retracted its statement and denied any involvement.
Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist militant organisation designated as a "foreign terrorist group" by the United States, has been accused of carrying out multiple terror attacks in India and other parts of the world. The group is also accused of the devastating three-day terror attack in Mumbai that took place in November 2008.
"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," the statement added.
Rubio said that TRF and its associated aliases have now been officially added to Lashkar-e-Taiba's designation as both FTO and 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.
Earlier, the US reaffirmed its strong support for India's fight against terrorism and the bilateral strategic partnership during the visit of an Indian all-party parliamentary delegation.
On April 22, four armed terrorists stormed the Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam and shot Hindu men after confirming their religion.
This escalated a major military conflict with India launching Operation Sindoor - precision airstrikes on terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (POK) on May 7.
During the operation, India damaged Pakistan's major military infrastructure, including the Noor Khan air base in Rawalpindi. Pakistan also resorted to repeated ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, and the international border in Punjab and Rajasthan.
"TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT," Rubio added.
Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was already listed as a foreign terrorist group by the US, has been linked to numerous attacks in India and across the globe, including the devastating three-day terror assault on Mumbai in November 2008.
Rubio said that TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024.
"These actions taken by the Department of State 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," Rubio said.
Rubio said that TRF and its associated aliases have now been officially added to Lashkar-e-Taiba's designation as both FTO and 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.
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