New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) The Resistance Front (TRF), which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack twice before denying any role, is almost decimated today. The TRF, a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, carried out a series of attacks in Jammu and Kashmir while posing as a locally grown group.

Post the Pahalgam attack, the TRF was disbanded. An Intelligence Bureau official said the Pahalgam attack elicited a strong response from India. This led to many terror groups facing the heat. The official said that the ISI has asked some of these groups to lie low as there is too much heat on them. Moreover, Pakistan is trying to reshape its image internationally, and hence it is important for it to keep its terror groups at bay at least for now.

The official, however, warned that the Lashkar-e-Taiba is in the process of creating another proxy for operations in Jammu and Kashmir. It is identifying men to be part of this new proxy. The emphasis is on the locals in Jammu and Kashmir. It is also looking for those persons from Kashmir who moved into Pakistan several years ago and would look to rope in these persons to join this new terror group.

Another official explained that, unlike the TRF, the structure of this new proxy would be different. When it was launched, the agencies did not have much of a headache in tracing its origins.

The funding and handlers shared the same trail as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). From day one, it was clear that the outfit was nothing but a proxy. For the new proxy, the LeT plans on keeping operations separate. The funding channels would not overlap with those of the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The LeT would also not want to involve its trainers and handlers with this new group. The only similarity would be the ideology and the cause. The members of this new group will not interact or connect with anyone from the LeT directly. On being asked whether this group is ready or not, officials said that its making is in the process.

The Lashkar will not rush through anything and would rather want to wait it out at least for a year before this group becomes fully functional.

While the group would be formed, the challenge would be the infiltrations. Since it is next to impossible to infiltrate India at the moment, the terror outfit would take it slow. They are aware that the Indian security agencies are on a state of very high alert. Hence, they would wait for the security mechanism to turn lax before attempting anything at the border.

The proxy, which the LeT feels should operate without any Pakistani linkages, is also aimed at tackling India’s new doctrine on terror. India, following the Pahalgam attack, said that any act of terror would not be treated as cross-border terror, but as an act of war.

Following the Pahalgam attack, investigators were quick in identifying the attackers, and the probe learned that the three were Pakistani nationals. This is a scenario which the LeT wants to avoid. Any attack in Jammu and Kashmir should be carried out by locals, and no amount of probing should lead to Pakistan, the outfit feels.

Not only would the outfit carry out a strike in Jammu and Kashmir, but it is also looking to avoid an Operation Sindoor, an official said. In addition to keeping a close watch on the operational capabilities of this new group, the agencies are also tracking funding trails both in Pakistan and India.

The outfit would look to carry out donation drives and would even ask people from India to donate. The LeT has already formed groups such as the Muslim Medical Mission (MMM), which claims to be a humanitarian group. It says that its formation is to raise funds for Gaza relief. In reality, all the funds are being pumped into the Lashkar-e-Taiba, an official said.

–IANS

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