Who is LeT-brainchild TRF, that has claimed responsibility for the devastating Pahalgam civilian attacks?
More than 25 people died, with multiple injured at Pahalgam, South Kashmir at 2:30 PM on Tuesday, after a group of unidentified gunmen opened fire on a civilian crowd, most of whom were tourists. This unprecedented attack is said to be the deadliest attack in the valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike.
The toll is still being ascertained, explained Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while describing the terror attack as "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years".
As news of the attack spread, The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group that is an offshoot of the banned Pakistan-origin Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attacks. According to a PTI report, officials suggested that it was possible that members of the TRF crossed over from Kishtwar in Jammu and reached Baisaran via Kokernag in South Kashmir.
According to a 2023 notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the TRF's inception was very much an aftereffect of the abrogation of Article 370 and the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. An amalgamation of several terror outfits—including the LeT, the Tehreek-e-Millat Islamia, and Ghaznavi Hind—its leadership included Sajid Jatt, Sajjad Gul and Salim Rehmani, all of whom are associated with the LeT.
“[The TRF] has been involved in planning of killings of security force personnel and innocent civilians of Jammu and Kashmir, co-ordinating and transporting weapons to support proscribed terrorist organisations, recruitment of terrorists, infiltration of terrorists and smuggling of weapons and narcotics from across the border,” the statement added.
According to an Indian Express report, the TRF began as a social media-based outfit out of Karachi, maintaining a strong presence on platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, TamTam, and Chirpwire, using these platforms for propaganda, radicalisation, and recruitment purposes.
A senior police officer anonymously explained that the TRF had been branded at a time when Pakistan was looking to avoid inspection under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Hence, a neutral name was chosen to indicate an indigenous movement, rather than a religious group.
“Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammad had religious connotations and Pakistan did not want that. They wanted to make Kashmir militancy appear indigenous. Hence, they opted for ‘Resistance’ — that has some currency in global politics — in its name,” the senior official said, as per the same Indian Express report.
The group began claiming responsibility for attacks in 2020, which led to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banning the TRF, all its forms and front groups in January 2023, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
On PM Modi's instructions (out of Saudi Arabia) to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the latter arrived in Srinagar to review the security situation in Kashmir, following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed, officials said, as per a PTI report. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Nalin Prabhat briefed the Home Minister upon his arrival. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, J&K CM Omar Abdullah, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka were present at the time of the briefing.
The Home Minister is likely to visit Pahalgam on Wednesday, they added.
India