The Resistance Front (TRF) is a Pakistan-backed militant outfit that has emerged as one of the most dangerous proxies operating in Jammu & Kashmir.
Formed in October 2019, shortly after India revoked Article 370 and ended Jammu & Kashmir's special status, TRF is widely believed to be a front for the banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
LeT has been active since the 1990s and aims to annex Kashmir to Pakistan while expanding Islamist influence across South Asia. TRF, unlike older outfits, uses modern propaganda and operates under a "secular" front to dodge international scrutiny.
Indian intelligence agencies allege that TRF receives logistical, financial, and strategic support from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
TRF is responsible for a series of targeted attacks especially against minorities, migrants, and security forces.
The April 22, 2025 Pahalgam attack, where 26 people were killed, is one of the deadliest TRF-led operations, likely aimed at creating communal tension and international embarrassment for India timed suspiciously during U.S. Vice President JD Vance's visit.
In 2023, India formally designated TRF as a terrorist organization under the UAPA Act.
