Banned terror outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has denied its involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack in an online statement. The TRF had initially claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 26 people and left over a dozen injured. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had designated the TRF as a “terrorist organisation” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2023 for promoting terrorism, recruiting militants, facilitating infiltration, and smuggling arms and narcotics from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir.
However, security and intelligence establishment sources told The New Indian Express that the outfit later withdrew its claim under pressure from the Pakistani establishment, particularly after widespread protests by Kashmiris erupted across the Valley against the incident.
In a statement on its website, the TRF said, “In the Name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful. The Resistance Front (TRF) unequivocally denies any involvement in the Pahalgam incident. Any attribution of this act to TRF is false, hasty, and part of an orchestrated campaign to malign the Kashmiri resistance.”
The group further claimed that an “unauthorised” message had been posted from one of its digital platforms after the Pahalgam attack, initially claiming responsibility.
“After an internal audit, we have reason to believe it was the result of a coordinated cyber intrusion. We are conducting a full investigation to trace the breach, and early indicators suggest fingerprints of Indian cyber-intelligence operatives,” the outfit alleged.
Following the TRF’s initial claim of responsibility, large-scale protests broke out across the Valley, with locals expressing anger towards Pakistan and the terror groups it supports.
TRF’s Sudden Change In Position Prompted By India’s Global Diplomatic Efforts
According to The New Indian Express, senior government official said that India’s global diplomatic efforts to rally international opinion against Pakistan’s support for terrorism in the region is one of the factors behind the TRF’s sudden change in position.
In a separate development, former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari threatened India, saying, “Divert Indus waters and rivers will run with blood”. In response, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday issued a sharp rebuttal saying, “Tell him to get his mental condition checked. What kind of statements he is giving? Enough is enough. Previous governments had tolerance levels for this. Now we will not tolerate all this. Look at what PM Modi said in Bihar. Now wait for a few days.”
