New Delhi: The US Department of State on Thursday (July 17) designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (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,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a press statement on Thursday.

The Pahalgam attack had taken place at a time when US Vice President J.D. Vance was on a four-day tour of India.

“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,” said Rubio in the statement.

“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,” said Rubio on Thursday.

India welcomed the move, with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar terming the step a “strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.”

“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 Gloabl Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for Terrorism. #OpSindoor,” Jaishankar posted on X on Friday (July 18).

In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the Government of India welcomes the decision of the US Department of State to designate TRF as an FTO and as a SDGT.

“We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Mr. Marco Rubio in this regard. 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 22 April 2025 for which it twice claimed responsibility,” said the MEA statement.

“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. 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.

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