US designates LeT proxy TRF as ‘Foreign Terrorist Organisation’, acknowledge and appreciate, says India

WASHINGTON, NEW DELHI: The US Department of State on Thursday (local time) designated The Resistance Front (TRF), the group behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, as a terrorist organisation. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) acknowledged and appreciated the leadership of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the decision.

In a statement issued by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the statement acknowledged the fact that the organisation claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The US, therefore, accorded the TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

“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,” the statement read.

Demonstrating the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering terrorism and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack, @SecRubio and @StateDept designated The Resistance Front (TRF) — a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy — as a Foreign… pic.twitter.com/BQChUEZ52i

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) July 18, 2025

The statement said that this action demonstrated the US President Donald Trump administration’s commitment of countering terrorism. “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”, the statement said.

“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,” the statement added.

India on Friday expressed its appreciation for the US Department of State’s decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), describing it as a significant step in the global fight against terrorism.

TRF, a proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), was the group that claimed responsibility for the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir and triggered the four-day military escalation between India and Pakistan in the coming two weeks.

A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.

Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF—a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the…

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 18, 2025

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) acknowledged and appreciated the leadership of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the decision. “The Government of India welcomes the decision of the United States Department of State to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (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 statement read.

“The TRF, a proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation 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 added.

The MEA further noted that the decision aligns with India’s longstanding call for international cooperation to dismantle terror infrastructure, noting that it was a “timely and important step” by the US, demonstrating the close collaboration on counterterrorism between India and the US.

“India has consistently emphasised 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 statement stated.

The MEA’s statement also underscores India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, reaffirming its commitment to work closely with international partners. “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 statement added.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar also welcomed the move, terming it a “strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation”. “Appreciate SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for terrorism,” Jaishankar stated in a post on X.

On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stressed the importance of taking an uncompromising stance against terrorism, citing the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack in India, which was condemned by the UN Security Council.

The Minister was speakting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin. He highlighted three evils — terrorism, separatism and extremism, which often occur together in his X post.

Jaishankar said, “Recently, we in India witnessed a graphic example in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. It was deliberately conducted to undermine the tourism economy of Jammu and Kashmir, while sowing a religious divide. The UN Security Council, of which some of us are currently members, issued a statement that condemned it in the strongest terms and “underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice”. We have since done exactly that and will continue doing so. It is imperative that the SCO, to remain true to its founding objectives, take an uncompromising position on this challenge.” (ANI)