UNSC Report Exposes TRF’s Role in Deadly Pahalgam Attack
TRF’s Pahalgam Attack Exposed by UNSC
A UN Security Council sanctions monitoring report has revealed that The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-based terror outfit, twice claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, and published a photograph of the attack site. The report, released on Tuesday, underscores TRF’s ties to the UN-proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), raising fresh concerns about Pakistan’s role in supporting terrorism, despite denials from one member state.
The 36th report by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, submitted to the UNSC’s 1267 ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee, details the Pahalgam attack, where “five terrorists attacked a tourist spot” in a calculated strike aimed at inflaming communal tensions. According to the report, TRF claimed responsibility on April 22, posting a photo of the attack site, and reiterated its claim the following day. However, on April 26, TRF retracted its statement, with no further communication or other groups claiming responsibility.
The report cites a member state asserting that the attack could not have occurred without LeT’s support, describing TRF as “synonymous” with the Pakistan-based terror group, known for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Another member state rejected this, claiming LeT is “defunct,” a view dismissed by Indian officials and security analysts. India has long maintained that TRF, which emerged after the 2019 revocation of Article 370, operates as a proxy for LeT, engaging in killings, arms trafficking, and terrorist recruitment in Kashmir.
Also Read: Pakistan’s Deputy PM Defends TRF, Questions Pahalgam Attack Evidence
India’s push to designate TRF as a global terrorist organization gained traction when the US, on July 17, 2025, listed TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hailed the move as a “strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation,” noting TRF’s role in the Pahalgam attack. The US State Department explicitly called TRF a “front and proxy” for LeT, stripping away Pakistan’s claims of TRF being a “grassroots movement.”
The UNSC report also highlights Pakistan’s efforts to shield TRF. On April 25, 2025, a UNSC press statement condemning the Pahalgam attack omitted TRF’s name after Pakistan, a non-permanent member, pressured for its removal, with support from China. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri criticized Pakistan’s obstruction, noting TRF’s double claim of responsibility and calling the retraction unconvincing.
India’s response to the attack, Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, 2025, targeted nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, destroying LeT infrastructure, including its headquarters in Muridke. The operation triggered four days of cross-border drone and missile strikes, ending in a bilateral ceasefire on May 10. India has consistently rejected US President Donald Trump’s claims of mediating the ceasefire, emphasizing direct talks between the Indian and Pakistani militaries.
The UNSC report further warns of fragile regional relations, noting that terrorist groups like TRF could exploit tensions. It also details the broader threat from groups like ISIL-K, with 2,000 fighters recruiting in Afghanistan and Central Asia, and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), with 6,000 fighters receiving support from Afghan authorities. Coordination between TTP, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and Al-Qaeda in training camps was also noted, with BLA’s March 11, 2025, attack on the Jaffar Express killing 31, showcasing its growing lethality.
India continues to press for TRF’s designation under the UNSC 1267 sanctions regime, presenting evidence of its LeT links, including digital signatures and financial trails, to the Monitoring Team in May and November 2024. However, China has repeatedly blocked these efforts, including vetoing sanctions on LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives, raising questions about its role in shielding Pakistan-based terror groups.
As New Delhi intensifies its diplomatic push, the UNSC report and US designation mark critical steps in exposing TRF’s terror activities and Pakistan’s complicity, though challenges persist in securing global sanctions amid geopolitical maneuvering.
Also Read: India Applauds US Move to Label TRF as Global Terrorists
