Thu Jul 17 22:54:32 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a rewritten news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The U.S. government has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be a proxy for the Pakistani extremist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a foreign terrorist organization. This action follows the deadly Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives. The designation by the U.S. reflects Washington’s condemnation of the attack, although it did not directly blame Pakistan. This incident, for which TRF initially claimed responsibility before later denying it, sparked military escalation between India and Pakistan, including India’s “Operation Sindoor,” which targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan leading to a brief but intense exchange of fire between the two countries.

**News Article:**

**U.S. Designates The Resistance Front as Terrorist Group After Pahalgam Attack**

**WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 18, 2025** – The United States government has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a foreign terrorist organization, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced yesterday. The move comes in the wake of the deadly July 2025 Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people.

The TRF, believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack before later retracting their statement. LeT itself is already designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. and has been accused of plotting numerous attacks in India, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

“TRF is a front and proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba. This designation underscores our commitment to holding terrorist groups accountable for their actions,” stated Secretary Rubio, emphasizing President Trump’s call for justice in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.

The designation by the U.S. follows a period of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. The Pahalgam attack prompted India to launch “Operation Sindoor” on May 7, 2025, targeting terrorist infrastructure within Pakistan. This action led to a brief but intense exchange of fire between the two nuclear-armed neighbors involving fighter jets, missiles, drones, and artillery, which ended with a ceasefire on May 10.

While condemning the Pahalgam attack, the U.S. has stopped short of directly blaming Pakistan, which has denied any involvement and called for a neutral investigation. The U.S. designation of TRF as a terrorist organization is likely to further strain relations between the U.S. and Pakistan, while being welcomed by India.

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