The United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar lauded the US Department of State’s decision, calling it a strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. The TRF claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians and triggered a military escalation between India and Pakistan. The US move underscores the commitment to combatting global terrorism.
In a statement, the US State Department confirmed the designation, highlighting TRF’s involvement in multiple attacks on Indian security forces. The US government emphasized this action as a part of its broader counter-terrorism strategy. The designation also included TRF’s addition to LeT’s existing FTO and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designations, reflecting a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism. Earlier, EAM Jaishankar, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin, emphasized the importance of taking an uncompromised stance against terrorism, citing the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack, which was condemned by the UN Security Council.
