The Resistance Front: Declared a Global Terrorist Organization -

The international community has increasingly come together to confront transnational terrorism, particularly when militant groups threaten not only regional but global peace. In a recent and significant move, The Resistance Front (TRF) has been designated as a global terrorist organisation by several countries, including India, the United States, and now under the lens of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and its counter-terrorism frameworks. This declaration underscores the growing concern over the group’s activities in South Asia, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, and its links to Pakistan-backed extremist networks.

Emergence of The Resistance Front

The Resistance Front came into existence in October 2019, shortly after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. It projected itself as a grassroots indigenous Kashmiri militant group fighting for “freedom” from what it termed as Indian “occupation”. However, investigations by Indian intelligence agencies and international observers quickly revealed that TRF was nothing more than a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) a proscribed Pakistan-based terror outfit responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

TRF was essentially created to circumvent international scrutiny on LeT and to give militancy in Kashmir a more “secular” and indigenous outlook, in contrast to the religiously-charged agendas of older groups. By presenting itself as a new, home-grown resistance force, TRF hoped to escape global sanctions and gain legitimacy in the local and international discourse. However, this rebranding strategy did not succeed in masking its connections to LeT and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Designation as a Global Terror Group

On January 5, 2023, India formally designated TRF as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), citing its involvement in multiple targeted killings of civilians, security personnel, and political workers in Jammu and Kashmir. The group was held responsible for several high-profile attacks between 2020 and 2022, including the killing of Kashmiri Pandits, migrant labourers, and police officials.

Following this, TRF has been listed under the U.S. State Department’s list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). The United States pointed to TRF’s operational coordination with LeT, and noted that TRF was being used to advance LeT’s jihadist agenda in a more politically palatable guise. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also imposed sanctions, freezing assets and barring financial transactions with its members and supporters.

This international branding of TRF as a global terrorist organization is significant because it opens the door for multilateral counterterrorism actions, joint investigations, intelligence sharing, and financial tracking under FATF (Financial Action Task Force) mechanisms.

Tactics and Modus Operandi

The Resistance Front has primarily targeted civilians, especially minorities and migrant workers, with an aim to create fear, disrupt normalcy, and reignite insurgency in the valley. One of its key strategies has been to conduct “hybrid attacks”, where locals without direct militant background are radicalised and armed to carry out one-off targeted killings, making it harder for security forces to trace and pre-empt such operations.

Moreover, TRF extensively uses online propaganda, social media, encrypted communication channels, and Telegram groups to recruit and indoctrinate youth in Kashmir. These platforms also allow them to issue threats to civilians, spread fear, and claim responsibility for attacks in real-time, without exposing operational handlers.

Pakistan’s Involvement

There is credible and growing evidence of Pakistan’s deep involvement in the formation, funding, and direction of TRF. The ISI’s strategy of using proxy fronts to launch attacks while maintaining plausible deniability has been used consistently in the case of LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and now TRF. Investigations show that TRF operatives receive logistical support, training, and weapons from across the border.

Indian agencies have also submitted dossiers to global counter-terrorism bodies highlighting that TRF chief Sheikh Sajjad Gul is operating from Pakistan and has been responsible for planning and orchestrating multiple attacks in India. His role, along with others such as Bashir Ahmad Peer, reflects the operational and command nexus rooted in Pakistani soil.

International Ramifications

The listing of TRF as a global terrorist outfit reflects a broader recognition of how terror groups evolve and rebrand themselves to escape scrutiny. The global community has taken note of this hybridisation of terror tactics and the digital radicalisation processes employed by such organisations.

It also underlines the need for accountability of state sponsors of terrorism. While Pakistan has claimed to be cracking down on terror financing under FATF pressure, its continued harboring of TRF leadership weakens its credibility.

For India, this designation provides diplomatic leverage in international forums and strengthens its hand in demanding cross-border accountability. It also signals a unified global stance against terror groups operating under new labels but pursuing old, violent goals.

Conclusion

The declaration of The Resistance Front as a global terrorist organisation is a long-overdue but welcome development in the fight against terrorism in South Asia. It exposes the attempts of militant outfits to reinvent themselves in the face of global scrutiny, and reinforces the importance of international cooperation in identifying and neutralising such threats. The world must remain vigilant and united in its resolve to dismantle these networks irrespective of the labels they wear.

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