With Kashmir Valley erupting in protests, Lashkar offshoot TRF now retracts Pahalgam terror attack claim

The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, has retracted its involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack. The terror organisation had earlier claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 innocent people, mostly tourists.

This comes amid massive anger across India and abroad and widespread protests by Kashmiris erupting across the Valley against the attack.

In 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs declared TRF a “terrorist organisation” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for promoting terrorism, recruiting militants, and smuggling arms and drugs from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir.

“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,” the terror organisation said in a statement.

Now retreating from the earlier claim amid massive outrage in India and abroad, the terror organisation said that shortly after the attack in Pahalgam, a brief and unauthorised message was posted from one of their digital platforms.

“After an internal audit, we have reason to believe it was the result of a coordinated cyber intrusion—a familiar tactic in the Indian state’s digital warfare arsenal. We are conducting a full investigation to trace the breach, and early indicators suggest the fingerprints of Indian cyber-intelligence operatives,” the terror organisation said.

Twenty-six innocent people, mostly tourists, were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on Tuesday, causing outrage in India and abroad.

India later found links to Pakistan, with the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba offshoot, The Resistance Group, claiming responsibility.

In response, India took strong actions against Pakistan, expelling military attachés, suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, and closing the Attari land border.

Pakistan responded by closing its airspace to Indian airlines, halting trade with India, and rejecting the water treaty suspension, warning that blocking water flow would be considered an “act of war.”