News Brief
India Welcomes US' Designation Of LeT Proxy TRF As Terrorist Organisation, Calls For Global Cooperation In Fight Against Terrorism
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and EAM S Jaishankar (File Photo)
India has welcomed the United States government's decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a foreign terrorist organisation.
In a big setback for Pakistan, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday (17 July) announced that the US has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), nearly four months after the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
In the 22 April Pahalgam attack, Pakistan-backed terrorists brutally shot dead 26 people, mostly tourists, in front of their families in the deadliest terror incident in India in over a decade.
Hailing the US decision, the Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement on Friday (18 July), 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," the MEA said.
According to the MEA, 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," it added.
The ministry added that 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 organizations and their proxies are held accountable.
In a statement on Thursday (17 July), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that TRF has been added to the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).
"Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)," Rubio said.
"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.
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.
Pakistan is a non-permanent member of the UNSC while China is a permanent member.
