NEW DELHI: Banned terror outfit The Resistance Front (TRF)—a shadow outfit linked to the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)— issued an online statement denying its involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack.
TRF initially took responsibility for the terror attack that killed 26 people and injured over a dozen.
Sources in the security and intelligence establishment said that the denial has come after the pressure from the Pakistani establishment and also in view of the massive protest by Kashmiris that erupted across the Valley against the attack.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had designated the TRF as a “terrorist organisation” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for promoting terrorism, recruiting militants, facilitating infiltration and smuggling arms and narcotics from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir in 2023.
In a statement on its website, the terror outfit 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.”
It added that an “unauthorised” message was posted from one of their digital platforms claiming responsibility after the Pahalgam attack.
“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 terror outfit said.
After the TRF initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, large-scale protests erupted in the Valley, with locals expressing their anger towards Pakistan and the terror groups it supports.
A senior official said that the government of India’s global diplomatic outreach to firm up opinion against Pakistan for its support to terror outfits and terrorism in the neighbourhood is one of the factor's for change in TRF's stand.
