Pahalgam, Apr 27 (V7N) — The Resistance Front (TRF), a Kashmiri rebel group, has denied involvement in the recent attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, blaming Indian intelligence agencies for what it described as a coordinated cyber attack aimed at discrediting the Kashmiri resistance.

Shortly after the gunmen attacked in Pahalgam, the TRF had initially appeared to claim responsibility through a digital platform. However, in an official statement issued on Saturday (April 26), the group said the claim was unauthorized and the result of a cyber breach.

Labeling the accusations "false, hasty, and unsubstantiated," TRF alleged that Indian cyber intelligence agencies hacked one of its digital channels to falsely attribute the attack to them. The group said such tactics are part of India's ongoing digital warfare aimed at diverting attention from the political realities of Kashmir.

TRF, which emerged in 2019, positions itself as part of the Kashmiri “freedom movement,” using secular, resistance-based language rather than religious rhetoric. While many analysts suggest links between TRF and Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group continues to frame its struggle in nationalist terms.

Primarily operating through Telegram and social media, TRF has previously claimed responsibility for small-scale attacks and target killings. However, it maintains that its ultimate objective is the liberation of Kashmir from Indian rule. In 2023, the Indian government officially designated the TRF as a "terrorist organization."

Following the Pahalgam incident, India has responded by taking a series of retaliatory measures against Pakistan. Among these, the government canceled visas issued to Pakistani nationals. Since the evacuation order was issued on Saturday, a total of 191 Pakistani citizens have returned to Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border crossing in Amritsar, Punjab.

Meanwhile, global reactions have poured in. US Intelligence Chief Tulsi Gabbard and Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed their support for India. Former US President Donald Trump also called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer his condolences and condemn the attack.

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