Tracing the Origins of The Resistance Front (TRF): The Mastermind Behind the Pahalgham Terror Attack

Explainer

By Harsh Pargat 

On 22^nd April 2025, India witnessed one of the most heinous terror attacks of this decade in Pahalgham. In Baisaran Valley, popularly known as “the Switzerland of India". Five gunmen opened fire, killing 26 tourists and injuring 20 people. The most horrifying element that triggered the national outrage is the fact that the gunmen asked and opened fire on unarmed Hindu men after questioning their religion, sparing the women and children to watch the horror. After the attack, the Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the attack on its social media. This highlights the rise of Islamic extremism. The ideology that has led to the formation of terror groups like The Resistance Front, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Origins of The Resistance Front: The Resistance Front began operating in 2019. It uses the alternate term “Kashmir Resistance” on its social media platforms, as per the South Asia Terrorism Portal. According to Ajai Sahni, head of the South Asia Terrorism Portal, these groups have emerged in recent years, particularly when Pakistan was under pressure from the Financial Action Task Force, as they attempted to establish a narrative of denial regarding their involvement in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The terror organization’s leadership hierarchy comprises Sajid Jatt, Sajjad Gul, and Salim Rehmani, linked to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. Major attacks prior to this targeted military convoys and involved narcotics and trafficking across the valley. The Ministry of Home Affairs had designated the organization as a terrorist organization in 2023.

Linkage with the Abrogation of Article 370 and functionality: The abrogation of Article 370 was done to reduce militancy, restore peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Resistance Front, as per many, is a proxy organization linked to the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, a Salafi terror organization based in Pakistan. In an interview with Colonel Siddharth, a retired veteran from the Indian Army. This attack is attributed to Pakistan's long history of using asymmetrical warfare. This is evident in the country's policy of "Bleed India with a Thousand Cuts". This attack is an attempt to disrupt the harmony and progress of Jammu and Kashmir post the abrogation of Article 370. Due to this, terrorism was curtailed, and it opened the doors for investments from different parts of India and other countries.

The Pakistan Army supported the mastermind Saifullah Khalid, who is second in command to Hafez Saeed. The timing of the attack must be viewed through a strategic lens, given that the Prime Minister was on an official visit to Saudi Arabia and the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitaraman, had gone on her official visit to the US and Peru, which was abruptly abandoned, leading them to return to India. The Deputy President of the USA, JD Vance, was also on an official visit to India. All these chronological elements indicate an attempt to sabotage India's image at the international level. Furthermore, the use of the term "jugular vein” by Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, who referred to Kashmir as the “Jugular vein, " carries strategic implications as Pakistan employs this rhetoric to radicalise the youth and indoctrinate them to take up arms and promote militancy in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

To consider the Resistance Front as a proxy, which has been the popular narrative, would be to develop a partial understanding of the organization. One must also consider that the Lashkar-e-Taiba was banned under the UNSC resolution 182.  This outfit can also be an independent organization or even be a part of umbrella organizations functioning with the same objective of promoting insurgency and militancy. Further, Saifiqullah Khalid, the mastermind behind the terror attack, had links to the Hizbul Mujahideen. Taking a further view of this curious loop of TRF being an independent organization or an umbrella like the Kashmir Tigers or similar terror organizations.

In a telephonic interview with Dr. Abhinav Pandya, author of the book "Terror Financing in Kashmir" and "Inside the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Muhammad," Dr. Pandya stated that a policy has been deliberately pursued to exploit the internal vulnerabilities of the Indian system by leveraging religious extremism and ideological exclusivism, both of which underpin its national identity. This strategy has enabled the rise of umbrella terrorist organizations that operate with pragmatic flexibility, often staying ahead of international regulatory mechanisms. International institutions like the UNSC require time to designate a terrorist organization and blacklist it. The same logic applies to the FATF. The process of terror financing in Kashmir is multifaceted and involves multiple sources such as hawala transactions, fake accounts, property transactions, and more. The money generated this way is used to establish terrorist camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, and some areas of Afghanistan.

Dr. Abhinav Pandya further added that, after the 1971 war, Pakistan realized that it could not beat India in a straight war”. However, this pattern of using asymmetrical warfare has started to backfire for the army as well as the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), as the terror organizations have gone beyond the control of the army as well as the government.

This has led to people questioning the legitimacy of the authorities. Analysing the different social media platforms of The Resistance Front shows how radicalization and brainwashing can be spread through these platforms.

The incident of the Zafar Express train in Baluchistan, if we see from a strategic lens, Pakistan thinks India was behind it. However, the BLA's role was there, which supports the motive for a liberated Baluchistan. The TRF has also used radicalized schools like Deobandi, Barelvi, and the ideas of Maulana Maududi, which emphasize imposing Sharia law (Believers vs Non-Believers). India needs to reform the intelligence system as well as impose strict laws to counter the challenge of demographic jihad and to maintain the national fabric of secularism. Do TRF and Kashmir Tigers have any ground existence, or are they just on social media platforms? These organizations may be on multiple fronts and working in a coordinated manner. A practical example of this is Sheikh Abbas, the second-in-command in Hizbul, leaving the organization and joining TRF. These can be a camouflaged approach to a neo-clandestine form of terrorism.

Conclusion

The Resistance Front can thus be termed a name front for disrupting normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. The links of their leaders to other terror organizations like Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba highlight the synchronised pattern for spreading terrorism, which is evident in the way the command structure of the organization functions. It can be a multi-stakeholder approach to disrupt peace and provoke militancy in the state. This attack can also be seen with the approach of a Hamas-like operation strategy, in which innocent civilians and tourists were targeted.

Disclaimer: This paper is the author's individual scholastic contribution and does not necessarily reflect the organization's viewpoint.