TRF-PAFF Rift Upends Pakistan’s Proxy Architecture in Kashmir Exposing a Crumbling Terror Ecosystem

Kashmir, India - In the clandestine realm of Kashmir’s proxy war, where loyalties are traded in blood and power shifts with whispers, an internal conflict is threatening to shatter the fragile ecosystem of terror. The Resistance Front (TRF), long treated as a lesser foot soldier in the terrorist hierarchy, has turned against its former overlords in the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF). For years, TRF existed in the shadow of its more aggressive and ideologically dominant cousin. But as rivalries festered and humiliation accumulated, TRF has chosen a bold, dangerous path—to collaborate with intelligence agencies and expose PAFF’s operations.

This decision, while audacious, signals a tectonic shift in the internal mechanics of Kashmir’s hybrid terrorism. Both TRF and PAFF emerged in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, created as façades of ideological resistance while serving as direct extensions of Pakistan-based jihadist groups—Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). TRF, in particular, has long projected itself as a secular “resistance” outfit, but Indian authorities have consistently labelled it a LeT proxy, responsible for a spate of targeted killings of minority Hindus, off-duty policemen, government employees, and tourists.

TRF’s Quiet Uprising: A Proxy Turns Against Its Master

Founded in October 2019, TRF initially operated as a tool of Lashkar’s second-tier insurgency strategy—deploying hybrid terrorists trained in micro-attacks rather than committed to any deep ideological cause. Their operations were calibrated to avoid high-profile engagements and focused on creating a climate of fear through symbolic violence. Yet beneath this strategy brewed a storm of internal dissent. According to security officials in Srinagar, TRF’s leadership began to feel increasingly sidelined in Pakistan’s proxy war ecosystem, where PAFF—with the Jaish network’s backing and superior propaganda firepower—was granted larger operational zones and more substantial funding.

The flashpoint reportedly came when TRF was denied authority over key zones in South Kashmir, which were instead handed over to PAFF field commanders. This breach of turf, layered with years of internal condescension, triggered a slow-motion mutiny. TRF cadres began reaching out to Indian intelligence agencies through informal channels. Within weeks, actionable intelligence—precise coordinates of PAFF safehouses, names of field couriers, even encrypted communication routes—was shared. This wasn’t defection born of repentance; it was retaliation engineered through betrayal.

A Delicate Web Fractures: The Risk of Retaliation Looms Large

PAFF, since its formation in early 2020, had rapidly gained traction as a modernised terror outlet, distancing itself from Islamic rhetoric and adopting language rooted in resistance against “fascism.” But this semantic evolution did not dilute its violent core. Its cadres, trained and mentored by Jaish-e-Mohammad’s handlers across the border, executed ambushes on security convoys, political assassinations, and grenade attacks while weaponising encrypted social media to radicalise Kashmiri youth.

Now, PAFF finds itself under siege—not by Indian counter-terror forces, but by betrayal from its own ecosystem. TRF’s collaboration has reportedly exposed the skeleton of PAFF’s structure. Indian security agencies have conducted a string of high-precision operations over the last month, with officials attributing their success to "internal sources." In some recent attacks—such as the grenade attack on a CRPF patrol in Srinagar or the execution of migrant labourers in Pulwama—both TRF and PAFF issued conflicting claims, further fuelling speculation that disinformation warfare is underway between the two. The denials and overlaps suggest a psychological turf war spilling into the public domain.

Old Enemies, New Games: Intelligence War Plays Out in the Shadows

TRF’s betrayal is reminiscent of past fissures within Kashmir’s terror structure. A decade ago, a similar schism erupted when Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zakir Musa broke ranks in 2017. Musa rejected Hizbul’s vision of political independence, calling instead for an Islamic caliphate. He went on to form Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), which accused Hizbul of abandoning Islamic principles and bending to Pakistan’s geopolitical convenience. This ideological rebellion fractured Hizbul’s chain of command, with several cadres defecting to AGuH. These realignments gave Indian intelligence the leverage to penetrate operational networks, culminating in Musa’s killing in 2019 after a tip-off allegedly came from a former Hizbul insider.

A parallel unravelling occurred after Burhan Wani’s death in 2016 when tensions flared between LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen. As leadership paralysis gripped Hizbul, LeT’s foreign cadre, particularly Pakistani commander Abu Dujana, sought to dominate operational theatres in Pulwama and Shopian. There were frequent disputes over access to weapon caches, credit for attacks, and media limelight. Resentment among Hizbul’s local commanders gave birth to another wave of informants—locals who resented the Pakistani cadre’s dominance. Dujana, too, was eliminated following intelligence passed by Hizbul sympathisers.

Proxy War’s Fragile Order Breaks Down as TRF Reshapes the Battlefield

What is playing out today between TRF and PAFF is not new—it is the latest chapter in Kashmir’s long, often overlooked history of fratricidal proxy wars. When Pakistan’s ISI attempts to micromanage multiple terrorist outfits—each desperate for relevance, funding, and publicity—infighting is inevitable. Resources are finite, glory is limited, and the competition to claim the next big attack often degenerates into sabotage. TRF’s decision to turn informant is both strategic and survivalist—a gamble to recapture lost standing and perhaps even wrest greater autonomy.

For Indian security agencies, the moment is ripe. They are playing the long game—exploiting these internal cracks with precision and patience. Officials in the counter-insurgency grid are reportedly tracking a new wave of potential defectors from both groups, each hoping to cut a deal before the next drone strike or overnight raid.

But danger still lurks. A wounded PAFF may double down on aggression, launching high-impact attacks to reaffirm its dominance. TRF’s exposed sympathisers are also now under grave threat. The terrain may remain the same, but the enemy’s face keeps changing. In Kashmir’s shadow war, the line between friend and foe has never been thinner. The real battle, it seems, is not just against Pakistan-backed terror—but within its fracturing, bloodied ranks.

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