India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has welcomed the United States' move to formally designate The Resistance Front (TRF)—a well-known surrogate of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
Terming it as a major milestone in the burgeoning India-US anti-terrorism collaboration, Jaishankar welcomed the action in a social media post on Friday.
Taking to X (ex-Twitter), Jaishankar posted: "A robust endorsement of India-US counter-terrorism collaboration. Thank @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF—a proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT)—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It was responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for Terrorism. #OpSindoor."
The move was announced a day prior by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed TRF's listing under US counter-terror legislation. According to Rubio, the move illustrates Washington's unshakeable commitment to fighting terrorism worldwide and holding accountable those who carry out violence against civilians.
This step reaffirms the commitment of the Trump Administration to safeguarding our national security interests, combating terrorism, and upholding President Trump's demand for justice in the Pahalgam attack," Rubio stated in his release.
He added that the TRF has been listed among designated Foreign Terrorist Organisations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists in accordance with relevant legal provisions in the United States.
Rubio pointed to TRF's direct role in the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, saying:
"TRF, a front and proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), was responsible for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack that murdered 26 civilians."
He further added: "This was the most deadly attack on civilians in India since the LeT conducted the 2008 Mumbai attacks."
The designation is likely to severely impact the TRF's functioning, cut down its lines of funds, and open up its operatives to increased global monitoring. The designation also puts additional diplomatic pressure on terrorist outfits based in Pakistan, many of which have been charged with masterminding cross-border attacks against India.
India has been continuing to call on the international community to acknowledge TRF's support for terrorism under the name of rebranding. The US move is being seen in New Delhi as a diplomatic breakthrough and firm indication that renaming a terror group does not provide immunity from accountability.
The move aligns with a recent condemnation from the United Nations Security Council, which denounced the Pahalgam massacre and underscored the importance of ensuring justice for those responsible.
The American move comes after April 22's Pahalgam attack in which 26 people were brutally murdered following targeted killings on religious grounds. The victims included 25 tourists, including a Nepali national, while a pony handler (ponywallah) who was a local resident also lost his life when terrorists opened fire at random.
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