Zero Tolerance for Terrorism’: Jaishankar Praises US Action on Lashkar Proxy TRF

Zero Tolerance for Terrorism’: The US Department of State on Thursday designated The Resistance Front (TRF) — the group behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir — as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The attack that killed 26 civilians was one of the deadliest in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called it a “strong affirmation” of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. He specially thanked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for designating the proxy of Pakistan-based LeT.

TRF had claimed responsibility for the April 22 attack in Pahalgam.

Earlier the Indian embassy had described it as “another demonstration of strong India-USA counter-terrorism cooperation.”

“Appreciate SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for terrorism,” Jaishankar posted on his social media platform X.

TRF is a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) a Pakistan-based terror outfit already designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN.

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In a statement issued by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio it was mentioned that TRF which is a known proxy of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyiba under US anti-terrorism laws had claimed responsibility for the Pahalagam attack.

The April 22 attack in the tourist spot in Jammu and Kashmir had killed 26 civilians and triggered the four-day military escalation between India and Pakistan. So the US has designated the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

"This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT," it said.

"TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024,"

The State Department said its actions 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".

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After the April 22 attack India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7. The targeted operation hit nine terror infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as a retaliatory measure.

According to Indian security forces over 100 terrorists were neutralised during the cross-border strikes. In the days that followed Pakistan launched drones and missiles into Indian territory.

India repelled the intrusions and responded with precision strikes which ultimately led to Islamabad asking for ceasefire on May 10.

In the diplomatic offensive that followed New Delhi sent seven multi-party delegations to 33 global capitals including Washington DC to highlight Pakistan’s continued support to terrorist groups operating in South Asia.

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