Last week’s ghastly terrorist attack in India-administered Jammu and Kashmir, a region that Pakistan claims as its own, sends a disturbing message. Despite the holding of elections, economic and infrastructure development and the return of tourism, the area remains deeply vulnerable to extremist violence.
The April 22 assault near the mountain resort of Pahalgam, in which 25 tourists targeted for being Hindu and a local guide were killed, was claimed by a little-known organization, The Resistance Front. While the group subsequently denied its involvement, this was likely in response to mounting domestic pressure and international condemnation.
TRF is believed to be an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-backed Islamist militant organization from which TRF reportedly receives funding and strategic guidance. LeT has a bloody history, having orchestrated several high-impact incidents in India, most notably the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 174 people.
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