New Delhi, July 30 (PTI) The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, has been mentioned for the first time in a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report. This reference highlights its involvement in the Pahalgam attack and is expected to strengthen India's diplomatic campaign against Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism.
The report, provided by the UNSC's Monitoring Team, quotes an unnamed member state, emphasizing that the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir was impossible without the support of Lashkar-e-Taiba. It also underscores the relationship between the LeT and The Resistance Front.
According to informed sources, the development is crucial because all UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee decisions, including reports, are adopted by consensus among its members.
Pakistan's foreign minister had previously boasted in its National Assembly about successfully removing references to TRF in the UNSC's press statement condemning the Pahalgam attack.
Observers said the mention of TRF in the Monitoring Team's report exposes Pakistan's "lies and deceitful narrative". They spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The report noted that five terrorists executed the Pahalgam attack, resulting in the death of 26 civilians.
"The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the attack on the same day and published a photograph of the site. The claim was reiterated the following day," it mentioned. However, the report added that TRF retracted its claim on April 26, and no other group claimed responsibility.
"Regional relations remain fragile, with terrorist groups potentially exploiting these tensions. One member state stated the attack could not have occurred without LeT's support, highlighting a relationship between LeT and TRF," the report said.
"Another member state identified TRF as synonymous with LeT, while yet another rejected these views, describing LeT as defunct. This latter view seemingly represents Pakistan's stance," it included.
The UNSC's 1267 Sanctions Committee is responsible for implementing sanctions against terrorists and related entities.
Sources suggested that Pakistan's strategy of using secular and modern names such as "The Resistance Front" for its jihadi proxies to mask LeT and JeM activities in Jammu and Kashmir has been "exposed".
This is the first mention of LeT and Pakistan-based terror groups in the report since 2019.
"The inclusion of TRF in the report, despite Pakistan's attempts to remove it, underscores Islamabad's involvement in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir," an informed source commented.
"This highlights our credibility at the UN in combating terrorism," they added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the three terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday were those responsible for the Pahalgam attack.
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