The Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba’s affiliate, “The Resistance Front,” has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack on tourists in Kashmir. This news package details the attack.
In 2019, the central government led by Prime Minister Modi revoked Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The same year, “The Resistance Front” was formed.
The terrorist organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed had Islamic religious symbols and principles. Pakistan did not want this.
Pakistan needed a secular Indian face for its terrorist activities in Kashmir. That is why the TRF was formed.
The Resistance Front is a front for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba in India. The organization’s stated objective is to achieve an independent Kashmir.
Initially, the Resistance Front, which started as an online organization, evolved into a coalition of already operating terrorist organizations.
The organization, led by Sheikh Sajjad Gul, is headed by Basit Ahmed Dar. Initially, the organization consisted of terrorists from Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
It grew into a full-fledged terrorist organization by recruiting terrorists from organizations like Tehreek-e-Millat Islamiya and Ghaznavi Hind. It continued to engage in psychological operations on social media to incite the people of Jammu and Kashmir to join terrorist organizations against the Indian government.
The organization was also involved in infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan, smuggling weapons and drugs Official sources say that the TRF has been operating as a local resistance force under the leadership of its leader Sheikh Sajjad Gul. The TRF is behind the twin drone attacks on the Indian Air Force station in Jammu in 2021 and various terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir that involved dropping weapons and explosives through drones.
It is noteworthy that out of the 172 terrorists killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022, 108 belonged to “The Resistance Front”. Following this, in January 2023, “The Resistance Front” was declared a terrorist organization by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Its leader Sheikh Sajjad Gul has also been declared a wanted terrorist.
Although the Resistance Front presents itself as a secular movement, the attacks carried out by the TRF so far have targeted civilians, especially Kashmiri Hindus, migrant workers and government employees.
The same movement has also attacked the Indian Army and local politicians in Kashmir. In this context, on April 22, TRF militants opened fire on tourists in the Baisaran Valley area of Bagalham in Kashmir.
Intelligence sources say that the brutal attack was planned by Saifullah Kasuri, alias Khalid, a leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Two months ago, Khalid is said to have gone to Kanganpur in Pakistan’s Punjab and held consultations with the Pakistani army there.
On February 2, Khalid had spoken at a meeting in Pakistan and had promised to capture Kashmir within a year and intensify terrorist attacks.
Following this, now, the daylight attack has been carried out. The NIA investigation has revealed that Lashkar-e-Taiba and “The Resistance Front” terrorists, along with the youth of the Kashmir Valley, are planning to carry out attacks on people from other states besides Kashmir in the war against India.
