Sajid Jatt Running Lashkar’s TRF, The Group That Claimed Pahalgam Terror Attack | Exclusive
Sajid Jatt is believed to be operating from Islamabad with the support of Pakistan’s ISI, and has been listed among India’s most wanted terrorists by the NIA
Intelligence inputs accessed by CNN-News18 indicate that Sajid Jatt alias Saifullah, a senior commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is currently overseeing the operations of its proxy group, The Resistance Front (TRF). The group recently claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people, including Hindu pilgrims and tourists, lost their lives.
According to top security officials, Jatt is based in Islamabad, and has emerged as a central figure in Pakistan-backed terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir. He is said to be involved in coordinating recruitment, managing terror finances, and facilitating the infiltration of militants across the Line of Control.
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Sources say Jatt has been instrumental in the formation and functioning of TRF, a Lashkar proxy created after the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, with the stated aim of presenting a domestic front to militancy in Kashmir.
His network is believed to extend across Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, and he has also been linked to the use of drones for the delivery of weapons and narcotics into Indian territory. Intelligence inputs confirm that his wife, an Indian national, is presently residing with him in Pakistan.
In addition to the Pahalgam incident, Jatt is also associated with other recent attacks, including the ambush on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi, which resulted in the deaths of nine people and injuries to over 40. He has further been linked to incidents during the Amarnath Yatra period in Kukgam, where five terrorists and two soldiers were killed in a gunfight.
Officials state that TRF’s digital outreach, particularly in South Kashmir, is being directed under Jatt’s supervision. Platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp are reportedly being used to circulate propaganda and communicate with potential recruits. He is said to maintain regular contact with overground workers, including a key associate identified as Qasim.
Following increased international scrutiny of Pakistan under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Jatt is believed to have adopted a low-profile strategy, avoiding high-visibility attacks and instead focusing on building localised support structures. His activities in the mid-2010s reportedly included informal attacks on Indian forces, which were later disrupted during the unrest following Burhan Wani’s killing in 2016.
In a detail shared by officials, Jatt’s son, Umar Raja Afaq Rather, was left in Kashmir in 2007. The two reunited years later in Pakistan, but Umar subsequently returned to Kashmir, reportedly due to a cultural disconnect.
Jatt is currently on the National Investigation Agency’s list of most wanted terrorists, with a reward of Rs 10 lakh announced for information leading to his capture. He is also wanted by Interpol in connection with alleged involvement in international terror financing networks.
Security sources add that Jatt’s operations are being conducted under the broader guidance of senior Lashkar leaders, including Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and facilitated by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI.
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