India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday welcomed the United States’ decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity, calling it a strong demonstration of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Jaishankar stated:
“A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate Marco Rubio and the US State Department for designating TRF—a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy—as FTO and SDGT. It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for terrorism. #OpSindoora”
The TRF, widely recognized as a front for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, including tourists — the deadliest civilian strike in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The Indian embassy in Washington also lauded the move, saying:
“Another demonstration of strong India-USA counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate the Department of State for listing TRF as an FTO and SDGT. TRF is a proxy of LeT and claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack on civilians. Zero tolerance for terrorism!”
US Vows Justice for Victims of Pahalgam Attack
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that TRF’s designation underscores the Trump administration’s commitment to national security and delivering justice for the Pahalgam attack.
“TRF is a front and proxy of LeT. This designation reflects our commitment to combating terrorism and holding perpetrators accountable,” Rubio said.
The US State Department, in its official statement, confirmed that TRF had claimed responsibility not only for the Pahalgam massacre but also for multiple attacks on Indian security personnel in recent months.