UNSC names Pakistani terror group TRF responsible for Pahalgam attack
What's the story
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has officially named The Resistance Front (TRF) as the group responsible for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The attack killed 26 people. This is the first time TRF, a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has been mentioned in a formal UN document. The report was released despite Pakistan's strong diplomatic objections.
Attack details
Attack carried out by 5 terrorists
The UNSC report documents that five terrorists carried out the Pahalgam attack on April 22. On the same day, TRF claimed responsibility and released a photo of the attack site. However, they retracted their claim on April 26. Despite the retraction, two member states told the UN sanctions team that LeT's support was crucial for the attack, the report added. One member state said TRF and LeT are synonymous, while another said LeT is defunct.
Retaliation
Pakistan attempts to manipulate language in UNSC documents
After the Pahalgam attack, India launched "Operation Sindoor" to target terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The UN report's inclusion of TRF comes amid Pakistan's attempts to manipulate language in official UNSC documents. Pakistan's Foreign Minister had previously boasted about achieving a retraction from the UN. However, the Monitoring Team's report contradicts that claim and restores reference to TRF in official UN records.
Diplomatic win
India sees TRF mention in UN report as diplomatic victory
India sees the inclusion of TRF in the Monitoring Team's findings as a strategic diplomatic victory. Unlike press statements, MT reports are adopted by consensus among UNSC members and are harder to influence. This is also the first time since 2019 that LeT-linked activity has been reintroduced into UN records.
US designation
US designates TRF as foreign terrorist organization
Earlier this month, the United States designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and added it to its Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) list. The designation was issued by the US Department of State on July 17. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted this development in the Lok Sabha on July 28, saying, "Thanks to our diplomacy, the TRF has been designated as a global terrorist organization by the US government."
Threat assessment
ISIL-Khorasan biggest threat in Central, South Asia
The UN report also highlights that ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K) remains the biggest threat across Central and South Asia with around 2,000 fighters. The group has expanded its influence in Afghanistan and neighboring countries. It has also recruited minors and set up suicide training camps for children as young as 14. It also mentioned the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), with around 6,000 fighters, is receiving significant support from Afghan authorities.