US Designates TRF as a Terrorist Outfit: A Boost to India's Counter-Terrorism Efforts
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: International Relations (India-US relations, Quad), Internal Security (Terrorism, Terrorist organizations, UAPA), UN (UNSC 1267 Committee).
Mains:
GS Paper 2: India and its neighborhood- relations; Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India.
GS Paper 3: Security challenges and their management in border areas; role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security; Role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges.
Key Highlights from the News
The United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a 'Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO)' and a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)'.
TRF claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack on April 22, 2025, which killed 26 people.
TRF is a proxy or front organization of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
India welcomed this move as a significant step in India-U.S. counter-terrorism cooperation.
Indian security agencies state that LeT formed TRF after the abrogation of Article 370 to evade international sanctions against Pakistan.
Following the Pahalgam attack, India campaigned internationally for a global ban on TRF and submitted evidence to the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee.
India had already declared TRF a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in January 2023.
TRF attempted to conduct anti-India propaganda, recruit, and claim responsibility for attacks using digital platforms like 'Kashmir Fight'.
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