India welcomes US listing of TRF as global terrorist outfit, hails counter-terror cooperation

India on Friday lauded the United States' decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the group responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). New Delhi hailed the move as a "strong affirmation" of the deepening bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation between the two nations.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar conveyed his appreciation to his American counterpart Marco Rubio and the US State Department for the designation. Taking to social media, Jaishankar stated, "A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. It [TRF] claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for Terrorism." The External Affairs Ministry further described the step as "timely and important," reflecting the profound partnership in combating terrorism.

The US State Department announced the listing, noting TRF's responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, which tragically killed 26 civilians and was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks by LeT. The department also cited TRF's involvement in several other attacks against Indian security forces, including recent incidents in 2024. India reiterated its steadfast commitment to a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and pledged to continue working closely with international partners to ensure that terrorist organizations and their proxies are held accountable. The designation adds TRF and its aliases under LeT's existing FTO and SDGT classifications, reinforcing international efforts to dismantle terror infrastructure.