TRF, a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) front and proxy, had claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.

“The Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT),” Rubio said.

“TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT’s designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT,” he said.

The action against the TRF comes after sustained pressure from India. In mid-May, just days after Operation Sindoor, an Indian delegation met top officials of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and gave details of the TRF.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of State in his statement said that “the Pahalgam attack was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024”.

Rubio said the action taken by the Department of State “demonstrates the Donald Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack”.

“We acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio in this regard,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.