China Urges Regional Unity Against Terrorism Following TRF Designation

Beijing, Jul 18 (PTI) – In response to the United States designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy organization of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a foreign terrorist entity after its involvement in the Pahalgam attack, China has urged regional countries to bolster their collaboration in combating terrorism to ensure regional peace and security. China vehemently opposes all forms of terrorism and unequivocally denounces the terrorist assault that took place on April 22, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian during a Friday media briefing. He was responding to inquiries regarding the US State Department's announcement about TRF's new terrorist designation. Lin reiterated that regional cooperation is essential to curb terrorism and to maintain security in the area. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier announced that the TRF has been designated as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir resulted in the tragic death of twenty-six individuals. While the TRF initially claimed responsibility, it later retracted as tensions between India and Pakistan heightened. India reacted by launching Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructures in both Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a countermove to the Pahalgam incident. An agreement between India and Pakistan was reached on May 10, concluding four days of intense exchanges involving drones and missile strikes across the border.