US Declares TRF a Global Terror Group After Pressure From India
Defence Experts Say US Action on Pakistan-Backed TRF Came Too Late
India’s defence experts have criticized the United States’ recent decision to label The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). They say the move was delayed and politically motivated, not a true shift in US policy against terrorism.
TRF is believed to be a proxy group of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation. The US action follows the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, where TRF was blamed for killing 26 civilians in Jammu & Kashmir — the worst attack since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Wing Commander Praful Bakshi (Retd.), speaking to IANS, said the US is mainly acting in its own interest. “America wants to show it’s against terrorism, but that’s not the full truth. It has often supported or created terrorist groups when it suited its goals, like during the Cold War with the Taliban,” he said.
He added that terrorism is ideological and cannot be ended simply by killing leaders or banning groups. “Pakistan’s army survives on terrorism. Without it, they can’t hold Kashmir,” he added.
Colonel Shivdan Singh (Retd.) also criticized the US move, saying it came only after India pushed back diplomatically. “After the Pahalgam attack, the US even supported Pakistan’s appointment to two anti-terror committees at the UN. That was shocking. But after India raised the issue globally and showed clear proof linking TRF to Pakistan, the US had to act,” he explained.
He added that Lashkar-e-Tayyiba had tried to disguise TRF as a local Kashmiri group, but India exposed the truth. “The US only labeled TRF a terrorist group after it became too embarrassing to ignore.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision, saying: “This action shows our commitment to fighting terrorism and holding those responsible for the Pahalgam attack accountable.”
He confirmed that TRF was acting as a front for LeT and had carried out one of the deadliest attacks on Indian civilians in recent history.
While the US move may help India diplomatically, defence experts believe that real change will only come when deeper ideological and political issues are addressed — especially in Pakistan’s support for terrorism.
