NIA Arrests J&K Man in Lashkar Proxy Funding Case Linked to TRF

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a man from Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir for his alleged involvement in the funding network of The Resistance Front (TRF) — a proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), officials familiar with the matter said.

The TRF, which claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people before attempting to distance itself amid global outrage, is widely seen by Indian intelligence as LeT’s rebranded front, created to evade international sanctions.

According to officials, Shafat Maqbool Wani was arrested last week under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) after six days of questioning (June 28–July 3) by NIA’s Jammu unit, which is probing the Pahalgam massacre. His arrest is part of a broader conspiracy case investigating TRF’s operations in Kashmir.

While it is not yet clear whether Wani had a direct role in funding the April 22 attackers, investigators suspect he received funds from TRF handlers across the border to finance terrorist activities in India. A June 26 report by Hindustan Times had revealed NIA’s ongoing investigation into the financial and logistical ecosystem supporting the TRF.

TRF’s Shadow Role in Terror Attacks

The TRF has emerged as a key player in terrorist activity in Jammu and Kashmir over the past three years, claiming responsibility for attacks on migrant workers, Kashmiri Pandits, and security forces. It has also been linked to the 2021 twin-drone strike on the Indian Air Force station in Jammu — the first known drone attack on a military facility in India.

Security agencies say Pakistan created TRF as a way to rebrand LeT operations and reduce scrutiny from bodies like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). In January 2023, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs formally banned TRF under the UAPA, citing serious national security concerns and the need to unravel the larger conspiracy behind its funding and coordination.

TRF commander Sajjad Gul, believed to be operating from Pakistan, was designated a “terrorist” under UAPA in 2022.

Pahalgam Attack Investigation Deepens

Wani’s arrest comes weeks after the NIA arrested two others — Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar — for harbouring the three Pakistani attackers responsible for the Pahalgam attack. Investigators say the duo gave the terrorists food, shelter, and logistical support in a seasonal hut prior to the killings.

“The terrorists selectively targeted the tourists based on their religious identity,” the NIA said in its June 22 statement.

Although the agency confirmed that the Jothars identified the attackers, it has yet to officially match them to the sketches released on April 24.

India’s Military Response

India responded to the Pahalgam attack with Operation Sindoor on May 7, a coordinated offensive involving airstrikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation, which reportedly killed at least 100 terrorists, triggered four days of cross-border clashes involving fighter jets, missile exchanges, and artillery fire.

The latest arrest underscores India’s efforts to dismantle TRF’s support infrastructure and uncover deeper linkages between proxy outfits and their Pakistani sponsors.