The U.S. Department of State officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF)—a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). This action comes in direct response to TRF’s alleged role in the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, where 26 civilians, predominantly tourists, lost their lives.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that this marks the deadliest attack on Indian civilians since the 2008 Mumbai attacks and reflects Washington’s alignment with then‑President Trump’s call for justice. The designation enables the U.S. to freeze TRF’s assets, criminalize support, and restrict its financial networks globally.

India has welcomed the move, citing it as a sign of strengthened U.S.–India counterterrorism cooperation. TRF first appeared around 2019 as a rebranded LeT front, declaring responsibility for multiple attacks in Jammu & Kashmir before India banned it under anti-terror legislation in January 2023.