NEW DELHI: India on Friday welcomed the United States’ decision to formally designate The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The move follows TRF’s claimed role in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians.In a statement issued on Friday, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) 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 MEA added that TRF, as a proxy of LeT, has been responsible for “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.”External affairs minister S Jaishankar described the US decision as a “strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.” In a social media post, he said, “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 April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for terrorism.”According to the US State Department, the Pahalgam attack was “the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT.” The Department added that TRF has also claimed responsibility for “several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024.”US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, “These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate 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.”He further added, “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.”India’s embassy in Washington also issued a statement, calling the move “another demonstration of strong India-USA counter-terrorism cooperation.” It said, “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!”
