America’s hammer on Pakistan… Pahalgam attackers TRF considered terrorist organization

The United States on Thursday declared ‘The Resistance Front (TRF)’, which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terrorist attack in India on April 22, as a terrorist organization. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described ‘The Resistance Front (TRF)’ terrorist organization as a mask and representative of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist group declared by the United Nations and based in Pakistan. Let us tell you that on April 22 this year, terrorists opened fire on tourists in Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, killing 26 people and most of them were civilians.

What did the US say in its statement?

The United States on Thursday declared ‘The Resistance Front (TRF)’, which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terrorist attack in India on April 22, as a terrorist organization. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described ‘The Resistance Front (TRF)’ terrorist organization as a mask and representative of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist group declared by the United Nations and based in Pakistan. Let us tell you that on April 22 this year, terrorists opened fire on tourists in the Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed and most of them were civilians.

What did America say in its statement?

In a note attached to the official statement, the US said, ‘Under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, Lashkar-e-Taiba is classified as an FTO and SDGT, respectively. The State Department has also reviewed and retained Lashkar-e-Taiba’s FTO designation. Amendments to FTO designations become effective after publication in the Federal Registrar.’

What did Trump say immediately after the Pahalgam attack?

Immediately after this tragic attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, US President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed condolences to the people killed. He said that the US stands with India in the fight against terrorism and has offered all possible help to New Delhi. Expressing gratitude to the US President, Prime Minister Modi said that India is committed to punish the culprits and supporters of this cowardly attack. At that time, Trump had also said that the Pahalgam attack was a ‘bad attack’. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he had said, ‘I am very close to India and I am also very close to Pakistan. Their fight in Kashmir has been going on for a thousand years. The dispute in Kashmir has been going on for a thousand years, maybe even longer. That (terror attack) was a bad attack.’

What is The Resistance Front i.e. TRF?

The Resistance Front i.e. TRF is a front organisation of Hafiz Saeed’s Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. TRF has been carrying out terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir for a long time. This terrorist organization has been targeting common citizens including migrant laborers, Kashmiri Pandits etc. in Jammu and Kashmir for the last three-four years. TRF is also responsible for the twin drone attacks on the Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Jammu in June 2021 as well as several incidents of dropping weapons and explosives using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) sent from across the border.

Several assessments by Indian intelligence agencies have revealed that The Resistance Front i.e. TRF is a core group of Lashkar-e-Taiba. According to a Hindustan Times report, a counter-terrorism official said, ‘Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists are behind all the attacks on civilians since 2020. The name ‘TRF’ was used by anti-India planners in the Pakistani Army and ISI in 2019 to avoid scrutiny by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) after the Pulwama attack and the revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir.’ The officer further said that through TRF, Pakistan’s intention is to create an atmosphere of fear among the local people and civilians in the valley.