When you butcher civilians, you don’t get pass but justice: US House Committee on TRF ban

Washington: The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs has strongly backed the recent designation of The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), emphasising that the group’s violent actions warrant international condemnation and justice, not leniency.

Posting on its official handle on X, the committee stated: “President Trump calls it like it is. The Resistance Front is a foreign terrorist organization and deserves the designation. When you butcher civilians, you don’t get a pass—you get JUSTICE.”

The remarks came after the US Department of State officially designated TRF, a proxy of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

The group claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were brutally killed in one of the deadliest attacks on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

In its official statement, the US Department of State said: “The Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024.”

The department emphasised that these actions reflect the Trump Administration’s commitment to national and global security.

“These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrate the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.”

The TRF designation comes amid increasing international pressure on Pakistan to curb terror groups operating from its soil. India has long accused Pakistan of sheltering and supporting LeT and its front organisations, including TRF, which emerged in 2019 as a shadow group to avoid international scrutiny.

–IANS