India Welcomes U.S. Move to Designate Lashkar-Linked TRF as Terror Group

A New Chapter in India–U.S. Counterterrorism Cooperation

In a significant diplomatic and strategic development, India has welcomed the United States’ decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). This move, hailed by Indian officials as a “strong affirmation” of India–U.S. counterterrorism partnership, marks a deepening of global consensus on the threats posed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorist groups operating in Kashmir.

File: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the State Department in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2025. Jaishankar praised the US for designating The Resistance Front as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, emphasising the shared commitment between India and the US against terrorism. (Photo by Allison ROBBERT / AFP)(AFP) | LiveMint

TRF and Its Terror Trail in Kashmir

The Resistance Front emerged in 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. While presenting itself as an indigenous resistance group, TRF is widely known to be a front organization created by Lashkar-e-Taiba to mask its activities under a new name. Since its formation, TRF has been involved in multiple deadly attacks targeting civilians and security personnel across the region.

One of its most heinous acts came on April 22, 2025, in the form of the Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were gunned down in a brutal ambush. Twenty others were critically injured. Initially claiming responsibility, TRF later attempted to distance itself from the incident as global condemnation intensified. The attack, reminiscent of the 2008 Mumbai carnage, was a chilling reminder of how terror networks continue to evolve while retaining their ideological core and operational ties.

U.S. Designation and Its Strategic Importance

The U.S. State Department, invoking Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, formally designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in his announcement, underlined TRF’s role in the Pahalgam attack and reiterated its operational links to Lashkar-e-Taiba, already designated as a global terror group by the United Nations and various countries including the U.S.

This designation brings with it a range of sanctions. TRF’s assets under U.S. jurisdiction can now be frozen, its financial networks blocked, and its operatives prohibited from entering or conducting business with U.S.-based entities. Additionally, the move signals to other nations that TRF should not be seen as a political movement or freedom group but for what it truly is: a violent proxy of a globally sanctioned terrorist network.

India’s Response and Diplomatic Messaging

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) promptly welcomed the designation, calling it a “clear signal” to terror groups and their sponsors. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar expressed gratitude to the U.S. for recognizing TRF’s true nature and acknowledged the decision as a boost to bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism. In his statement on social media, he noted that the move strengthens the global effort to isolate and dismantle such groups.

India has long maintained a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and has consistently raised concerns over the role of Pakistan-based groups in fomenting violence in Kashmir. The U.S. move, coming in the wake of the Pahalgam tragedy, reflects a growing alignment between Washington and New Delhi on counterterrorism issues and regional security in South Asia.

Global Implications and Pakistan’s Embarrassment

The international naming of TRF as a terrorist organization is a diplomatic setback for Pakistan, which has historically denied any involvement with groups like LeT while allowing them to flourish on its soil. The designation intensifies pressure on Islamabad to act decisively against terror infrastructure and cease support—both direct and indirect—to these organizations.

Beyond the India–U.S. bilateral equation, this designation is expected to influence international platforms such as the United Nations Security Council and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). India is likely to leverage this momentum to push for a multilateral consensus on designating TRF and similar groups at the UN level and subjecting Pakistan to renewed scrutiny at FATF meetings.

Conclusion: A Stronger Global Front Against Terror

The U.S. decision to classify The Resistance Front as a terrorist organization represents more than just a symbolic gesture—it is a tactical reinforcement of the world’s collective stand against terrorism. For India, it affirms its persistent diplomatic effort to expose the duplicity of Pakistan-backed terror groups. For the global community, it is a reminder that evolving threats like TRF—operating under new names but old agendas—must be identified and neutralized through cooperation and clarity.

This move strengthens the foundation of India–U.S. counterterrorism collaboration and sets the stage for further action, both bilaterally and through global institutions, to isolate and dismantle terror networks masquerading under nationalist facades.

(Sources: LiveMint, India Today, News18)