By R Anil Kumar
Bangalore/ Washington. The Department of State has added 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.
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.
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 welcomes U.S. listing of The Resistance Front as global terrorist outfit
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described Washington’s decision on The Resistance Force (TRF) as a “strong affirmation” of India-U.S. counter-terrorism cooperation
Mr. Jaishankar described Washington’s decision on The Resistance Force (TRF) as a “strong affirmation” of India-U.S. counter-terrorism cooperation.
The Government of India on Friday (July 18, 2025) welcomed the U.S. Government’s decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a ‘Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)’ and as a ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) outfit.
Indicating India’s international campaign to further action against terror outfits based on Pakistani soil, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India’s cooperation with international partners will continue to ensure “that terrorist organizations and their proxies are held accountable”.
“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 April 22, 2025 for which it twice claimed responsibility,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs in response to the U.S. designation of the TRF.
Earlier, the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had announced the Trump administration’s decision to add the TRF to the list of Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist outfits.
Mr Rubio said the decision on the TRF “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.”
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
India had launched a campaign blaming the TRF for the Pahalgam attack but the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution 25 April that condemned the attack but stopped short of naming the TRF.
After Operation Sindoor that targeted terror bases in Pakistan, India sent a delegation to the United Nations campaigning for tough action against the TRF.
Concerns on terrorism featured also in the July 2, 2025 Quad Foreign Ministers meeting held in Washington DC where a joint statement “strongly” condemned the Pahalgam attack.
“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,” said the MEA in appreciation of the designation of the TRF.
“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,” said the MEA appreciating the support from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The Resistance Front (TRF), which was the group behind the recent deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has been added to LeT’s existing terrorist designations.
“This designation of TRF demonstrates the Trump administration’s resolve to protect American interests and stand against global terrorism,” Rubio said. “It is also a direct response to President Trump’s call for accountability for the Pahalgam attack, which remains the deadliest assault on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.”
The Pahalgam attack, carried out on April 22, claimed 26 lives — mostly tourists — in a brutal assault in the scenic valley town in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack shocked the nation and drew international condemnation.
India’s Retaliatory Action: Operation Sindoor
In response to the massacre, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting nine terrorist infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
According to Indian security forces, over 100 militants were neutralised in the coordinated air and ground strikes.
The military operation triggered a brief but intense conflict between India and Pakistan, with Islamabad responding by deploying drones and launching missile attacks. Indian forces successfully repelled the Pakistani assaults and retaliated, eventually prompting Pakistan to call for a ceasefire on May 10.
Diplomatic Push
Following the Pahalgam attack and its aftermath, India mounted a global diplomatic campaign to highlight Pakistan’s alleged role in supporting cross-border terrorism.
In late May, seven multi-party delegations from India visited 33 international capitals — including Washington, D.C. — urging world leaders to hold Pakistan accountable for harbouring terrorist groups like TRF and LeT.
The US designation of TRF as a terrorist group is seen as a significant step in India’s efforts to isolate Pakistan diplomatically over its terror links.
All Eyes now on China
After the United States designated The Resistance Front (TRF), which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, as a terrorist organisation, all eyes are on China whether it will follow suit. China has blocked the listing of Pakistan-based groups and leaders at the United Nations (UN) for years.
For years, China has blocked the designation of Pakistan-based jihadist groups and leaders as terrorists at the United Nations (UN). In its own reports as well, China has refused to mention or has downplayed Pakistani jihadists that attack India.
In the past, India has reacted sharply to China blocking moves to list Pakistan-based jihadists as terrorists at the UN.
China has blocked terrorist listings without providing reasons and has often resorted to procedural delays instead of a veto.
“This is a disguised veto, but an even more impervious one that indeed merits a discussion amongst the wider membership. For genuine evidence-based listing proposals for globally sanctioned terrorists to be blocked without giving any due justification is uncalled for and smacks of doublespeak when it comes to the council’s commitment in tackling the challenge of terrorism,” Ruchira Kamboj, India’s then-UN envoy, said last year.
Earlier this year, India in May submitted a detailed dossier to the UN Security Council to seek TRF’s designation as a global terror group. Even as the dossier included intelligence findings on the TRF’s funding, handlers, and leadership ties to LeT, China blocked the move by putting a ’technical hold’, which is a procedural delay used by permanent UNSC members to avoid open vetoes.
China is a UNSC permanent member along with the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Russia.
Previously, China has also blocked the designation of individual terrorists like Masood Azhar (2009-19), Abdul Rauf Azhar (2022-23), Sajid Mir (2022-23), and Shahid Mahmood (2022-23).
In its own report, China excluded TRF from the list of active terrorist groups, but included the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Majeed Brigade of the BLA.
Timeline of China blocking TRF’s listing
- April 22: The TRF claims responsibility for the Pahalgam attack.
- Early May: India submits dossier to the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee for TRF’s listing.
- Mid-May 2025: China places a ’technical hold’ on the listing, preventing consensus on TRF listing.
- June 2025: The UN Monitoring Team’s mid-year report omits TRF and Chinese official Chungjie Li is accused of bias.
- July 17: The United States independently designates TRF as Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
