Pahalgam attack outfit TRF placed on US terror list, boosts India efforts

In a post on X with the hashtag Op Sindoor, he appreciated the decision of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department, pointing out that the TRF was a LeT “proxy” and had “claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack”. He said there is “zero tolerance for terrorism”.

Designating an outfit as an FTO makes financing, aiding, advising and helping such an organisation a crime under US law.

Sources said this designation will support efforts to curb terrorism financing and to encourage other nations to do the same. It stigmatizes and isolates the TRF internationally, deters donations or contributions to and economic transactions with it, increases public awareness and signals to other governments on the concern about TRF, sources said, adding that the designation will help India to push for listing TRF at the UN as well.

The US State Department, in a statement, said, “Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).”

“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. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024,” it said.

“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,” it said.

The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, 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 Organization (FTO) and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Mr Marco Rubio in this regard.”

“The TRF, a proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), has been involved in numerous terror-related activities, including the heinous attack on civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on 22 April 2025 for which it twice claimed responsibility,” it said.

“India has consistently emphasized the need for global cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the dismantling of terror infrastructure. The designation of TRF is a timely and important step reflecting the deep cooperation between India and the United States on counter-terrorism,” the MEA said.

It said India remains committed to a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and will continue to work closely with its international partners to ensure that terrorist organisations and their proxies are held accountable.

The designation follows India’s consistent efforts for naming TRF in the UNSC statements, which was stymied by Pakistan at the UNSC.

President Trump was the first foreign leader to call up Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Pahalgam terror attack, which took place when Vice President J D Vance was in India.

While India and the US have developed a strong relationship on counter-terrorism, the US President’s outreach to Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir last month had caused some discomfiture in Delhi.

Besides, Trump’s repeated assertions — at least 20 times now — on how he had mediated a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor had riled Delhi. So much so that India rejected the claim and Prime Minister Modi also countered it during a phone call with Trump.

Detailing the 35-minute phone conversation between the two leaders – Modi was in Kananaskis in Canada for the G7 Summit — Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri quoted the PM as telling Trump: “At no point… was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US trade deal, or any proposal for a mediation by the US between India and Pakistan. The discussion to cease military action took place directly between India and Pakistan through the existing channels of communication between the two armed forces, and it was initiated at Pakistan’s request… India does not and will never accept mediation. There is complete political consensus in India on this matter.”

The TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT’s designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register.

Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) are foreign organisations that are designated by the Secretary of State in accordance with Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended.

“FTO designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business,” the US State Department said.