A new dossier compiled by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), alongside Jammu & Kashmir Police and other central agencies, reveals extensive links between The Resistance Force (TRF)—a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—and a network of online operatives involved in recent terror attacks. 

TRF, which surfaced in 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370, was designated a terrorist group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2023. The group’s prominence heightened following the 2025 Pahalgam attack, which resulted in 28 deaths, though TRF withdrew its responsibility claim on social media citing fear of global backlash.

The submitted dossiers detail how LeT commanders based in Pakistan plotted attacks in Jammu & Kashmir, utilizing TRF’s name to maintain plausible deniability and avoid scrutiny from global agencies. Notably, after Operation Sindoor—an offensive targeting terror hideouts—intelligence suggests TRF relocated its base from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

Investigations chronicle a surge in TRF activities from 2020-21, marking the first significant case in June 2021 with the recovery of IEDs from a LeT-affiliated militant in Jammu. Since then, TRF has aggressively used encrypted social media platforms for recruiting youth, disseminating threats, and claiming attacks. The NIA directly links these online “cells” to LeT commanders, highlighting a sophisticated interplay of terror and technology.

Internationally, a recent U.S. designation has frozen all assets connected to TRF within American jurisdiction and bars any transaction with them. Entities or individuals engaging with TRF face secondary sanctions and, for non-U.S. nationals, inadmissibility into the U.S., with material support constituting a criminal offense.

Indian counterterrorism officials believe this move reinforces India’s case at the United Nations Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee, especially given previous reluctance to designate TRF due to Pakistani intervention.

The dossier underscores TRF’s multipronged threat: orchestrating attacks, leveraging technology for covert operations, and acting as an extension of LeT’s strategic goals in the region, all while attempting to mask direct Pakistani involvement.

Based On ET News Report