TRF Denies Pahalgam Attack, Blames Cyber Intrusion
The Resistance Front (TRF), a group linked to the Pakistani militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has denied any involvement in the deadly April 22nd terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
The attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent people, mostly tourists, had initially been claimed by TRF. However, the group has now released a statement saying an unauthorized message was posted from one of their online platforms, attributing the attack to them.
TRF insists this was part of a larger effort to smear the Kashmiri resistance. They believe the message was the result of a coordinated cyber-attack and are conducting a full investigation. They even went so far as to accuse Indian cyber intelligence operatives of being behind the breach.
This denial comes despite reports suggesting the attack was carried out by a LeT-affiliated group, composed mostly of foreign terrorists, with local support and directed by Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The attack sparked outrage and a harsh response from India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to hunt down the perpetrators and their supporters. India took several retaliatory measures, including suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistanis, expelling Pakistani military attaches, and suspending the Indus Water Treaty.
Pakistan responded by shutting its airspace to Indian airlines and suspending trade with India. They also rejected India’s move to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, warning that any attempt to restrict the flow of water to Pakistan would be considered an act of war.
The TRF was designated as a terrorist organization by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs in January 2023, due to its involvement in promoting terrorism, recruiting militants, facilitating infiltration, and smuggling arms and narcotics from Pakistan into Kashmir.
