US Calls Out TRF as Terrorist Group After Pahalgam Horror
Pahalgam’s rolling green hills and crisp mountain air—that’s what tourists come for. Not bloodshed. But on April 22, 2024, that’s exactly what happened. Twenty-six innocent people, mostly visitors just enjoying Kashmir’s beauty, were gunned down in Baisaran Valley. The Resistance Front (TRF) took credit for this madness. And now, the US has officially labeled TRF a terrorist organization, finally putting on paper what India’s known for years: these guys are basically Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) with a fresh coat of paint. Big move? Absolutely. But will it change anything? Let’s break it down.
1. That Day in Pahalgam: How It Went Down
Picture this—it’s late afternoon, the light’s turning golden, families are heading back from a day of trekking. Then suddenly, masked men start shooting. No warnings, no demands. Just bullets. Twenty-six dead in minutes. TRF called it “retribution,” whatever that means when your victims are regular folks on vacation. The whole country was shook. And honestly? It brought back all those old arguments about Pakistan’s role in keeping Kashmir unstable.
2. TRF: “Local Militants” or Just LeT in Disguise?
TRF popped up in 2019 acting like some homegrown Kashmiri resistance group. Come on. Every intelligence agency worth its salt knew they were just LeT wearing a new name tag. The US designation finally says it out loud—TRF’s basically LeT’s kid brother, created so Pakistan could pretend it’s not pulling the strings. Their MO? Hit hard, kill civilians, then hide behind this “freedom fighter” nonsense. Classic playbook.
3. Pakistan’s Hand in the Cookie Jar
Here’s the thing—TRF doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Weapons? Money? Training? All coming straight from Pakistan’s ISI through LeT channels. It’s like this sick game where Pakistan gets to stir up trouble in Kashmir while keeping its hands “clean.” Except now, after Pahalgam, everyone’s looking at those hands. And they’re not as clean as Islamabad wants us to think.
4. What the US Found Out
Okay, so the declassified reports are pretty damning. We’re talking encrypted chats between TRF guys and LeT bosses in Pakistan, money transfers to shady ISI-linked accounts, even training camps right across the border. This US move isn’t just paperwork—it’s Washington giving India some serious backup in calling out Pakistan’s two-faced game. Next stop? Probably pushing for UN sanctions against TRF operatives.
5. The Man Behind the Bloodshed?
Meet Sheikh Sajjad Gul—or at least, that’s who investigators think planned this mess. Dude’s got ties to multiple attacks in Kashmir and probably took orders straight from LeT. Where is he now? Hiding out in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, naturally. Guys like Gul are living proof that this “local militant” story is total BS.
6. What India’s Doing About It
After Pahalgam, security forces went into overdrive—taking out TRF cells left and right. On the diplomacy front, India’s pushing allies to isolate Pakistan. And tourism? They’re trying to save it with extra security at hotspots, but let’s be real—who’s rushing to visit after something like this? It’s gonna take more than a few extra soldiers to fix that damage.
7. What Happens Next?
The US froze TRF assets and told Pakistan to actually do something about LeT for once. India’s at the UN trying to tighten the screws on terror funding. But here’s the scary part—these Pakistan-backed groups might actually step up attacks now, just to prove they can. How the world responds (or doesn’t) will set the tone for dealing with state-sponsored terror moving forward.
Bottom Line
Pahalgam wasn’t just another attack—it showed how terror groups keep reinventing themselves with help from shady state actors. Calling TRF terrorists is a start, but real justice? That means going after the guys in Pakistan who make all this possible. Until that happens, Kashmir’s peace will keep getting held hostage. And those 26 lives? They deserve more than just angry statements and temporary crackdowns.
Source: Aaj Tak – Home
