The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the killing of a Jammu and Kashmir Police head constable in Anantnag on Wednesday, 23 July, in what intelligence officials describe as a calculated attempt to reassert its presence in the Union Territory after months of near-silence. The attack is being read by security agencies as a signal that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is pushing the TRF to stage a comeback following the group's sharp decline after the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year.

The Anantnag Attack

Head Constable Ashiq Hussain, deployed on security duties for the Amarnath Yatra, was shot by terrorists near Lal Chowk in Anantnag on Wednesday. He was rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital in Anantnag, where doctors declared him brought dead on arrival. The TRF claimed responsibility for the killing through a post on social media shortly after the incident.

What Intelligence Agencies Are Saying

Officials say the TRF's claim of responsibility is not merely tactical — it is also a recruitment signal aimed at local youth in Jammu and Kashmir. According to an Intelligence Bureau official, the outfit is seeking to gauge public and security response to both the attack and its public claim, in an apparent attempt to assess whether it can attract fresh recruits and rebuild local traction.

The same official noted that the ISI had previously attempted to revive the Hizbul Mujahideen in Jammu and Kashmir, but those efforts failed to gain traction. The ISI has also reportedly been building a new network of overground workers (OGWs), as many existing operatives had come under security agencies' radar and carried criminal records. Notably, officials said efforts are reportedly underway to establish an all-women OGW network as well.

Why TRF Remains the ISI's Best Bet

For years, Pakistan has sought to cultivate a home-grown terror outfit in Jammu and Kashmir, primarily to create plausible deniability by framing attacks as the work of local militants rather than Pakistan-backed groups. That strategic need has grown more acute following the Pahalgam attack, after which India adopted a new security doctrine treating acts of terrorism not merely as cross-border incidents but as acts of war.

'This shift makes it even more important for the ISI to cultivate a home-grown outfit comprising only local operatives,' an official said. In that context, the TRF — despite its current weakness — remains the ISI's most viable instrument in the Valley.

Security Tightened After Operation Sindoor

Following Operation Sindoor, security across Jammu and Kashmir was significantly reinforced, resulting in a sharp decline in terror incidents. Enhanced border surveillance and sustained counter-terror operations have made infiltration across the Line of Control (LoC) considerably harder, placing Pakistan-backed groups under mounting pressure.

Officials caution, however, that the TRF's current strategy involves smaller, targeted strikes — building visibility and local recruitment before attempting larger operations. 'Currently it does not have either the traction or desired strength locally to carry out a big attack in Jammu and Kashmir,' an official said. Agencies warn that this incremental approach could evolve if left unchecked.

What Comes Next

Security agencies have warned of further smaller attacks in the near term as the TRF attempts to regroup and rebuild its local base. Officials say the group's immediate emphasis will be on recruitment rather than spectacle. The Anantnag investigation is ongoing, and security deployments across the Union Territory remain at heightened levels.