Shaken, Scared! Lashkar Affiliate TRF Panics Amid Global Outrage, Now Denies Role in Pahalgam Terror Attack

New Delhi: The Resistance Front (TRF) — a Pakistan -backed proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba — on Saturday retracted its earlier claim of responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, as Pakistan scrambled to contain the diplomatic fallout after India launched a series of tough measures in response to the killings of innocent tourists in Jammu and Kashmir. In a desperate U-turn, the terror outfit blamed a so-called cyber breach for the earlier admission and claimed it had “no involvement” in the attack.

The group’s denial comes days after it publicly admitted to carrying out the attack, triggering widespread outrage in Jammu and Kashmir, where angry locals staged protests blaming Pakistan and its terror networks for spilling blood on their land yet again.

“TRF unequivocally denies any involvement in the Pahalgam incident. Any attribution of this act to us is false, hasty, and part of a campaign to malign the Kashmiri resistance,” the group said in its latest statement.

It further claimed that after the attack, “an unauthorised message” was posted from one of its digital handles. “We believe it was due to a coordinated cyber intrusion, likely by Indian cyber-intelligence operatives,” the statement read.

Ministry Calls TRF Declared Terror Outfit

The Ministry of Home Affairs has already classified TRF as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The group has been accused of promoting armed militancy, facilitating infiltration, and pushing narcotics into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan.

In 2023, the ministry stated that TRF was nothing more than a rebranded front of Lashkar-e-Taiba, created to project Kashmiri militancy as an indigenous movement while masking Pakistan’s direct hand in cross-border terrorism.

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Audio Clip Adds to Denial, Fails to Convince

In a further bid to distance itself from the bloodshed in Pahalgam, TRF also released an audio clip repeating its denial and reiterating the cyber breach claim. But intelligence sources and ground sentiment in Kashmir indicate otherwise.

Protests Against Pakistan Erupt in Valley

Soon after the attack, mass protests broke out in various parts of the Valley. Locals, many of whom had welcomed tourists and were dependent on tourism, vented their anger against Pakistan for exporting terror. Many protestors openly denounced groups like TRF for destroying peace and livelihoods.

As India ramps up diplomatic and strategic pressure on Pakistan, TRF’s backtracking is being seen as a sign of nervousness and damage control. But for the families of those killed in Pahalgam, the denial means little.