Srinagar| WTNS | July 21:In a move reinforcing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for justice following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday announced the designation of The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy group of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

The designation comes in the wake of TRF’s alleged role in the brutal assault in Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians most of them tourists dead, marking one of the deadliest attacks on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

“The Department of State is designating The Resistance Front as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist,” Rubio said in a statement quoted by Kashmir News Observer (KNO). “TRF and its associated aliases have been added to LeT’s designation under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224.”

Rubio emphasized that the action underscores the Trump administration’s ongoing commitment to national security, combating global terrorism, and delivering justice for the victims of the Pahalgam attack.

TRF has also claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on Indian security forces, including incidents reported as recently as 2024.

The Indian Embassy in Washington welcomed the designation, highlighting the deepening India U.S. counter-terrorism cooperation.

“Another demonstration of strong India-USA counter-terrorism cooperation,” the embassy wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Appreciate the Department of State for listing The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. TRF is a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam. ZERO TOLERANCE for terrorism!”

Although TRF initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam massacre, it later retracted as tensions escalated between India and Pakistan. India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named Sheikh Sajjad Gul, the head of TRF, as the primary architect behind the attack.

In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes triggered cross-border skirmishes that continued until May 10. The hostilities ceased after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations reached out to his Indian counterpart and requested a ceasefire.

After the United States designated the Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), China strongly condemned the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack in India, which killed 26 people.

“China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns the terrorist attack,” said Lin Jian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.