The US State Department has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), the group behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, as a terrorist organisation. In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, the Trump Administration has declared the TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
He said the move 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. TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024. The State Department has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT.
Earlier on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stressed the importance of taking an uncompromising stance against terrorism, citing the Pahalgam terrorist attack in India, which was condemned by the UN Security Council. The Minister was speakting at the SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin, China. He highlighted three evils – terrorism, separatism and extremism, which often occur together.
