[25][19] Formed using cadres of Jihadist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen[20][19][26] in the aftermath of the 2019 abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, TRF uses non-religious nomenclature and symbolism to project a secular image,[17] but has carried out targeted killings of locals from religious minority communities.

[27] The Resistance Front was founded in October 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370 and the revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir by the Indian government in August 2019.

[13][14] The TRF has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Jammu and Kashmir against Indian forces and it has made use of social media videos and posters to spread its propaganda.

[13][14] Notably, TRF claimed responsibility for an attack on security officers in the Anantnag district using the guerilla warfare strategy, citing it as an "act of revenge" for the killing of their leader, commander Riyaz Ahmed, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

[54] The ban was imposed due to the Indian government's suspicions of TRF's involvement in a conspiracy to assassinate Kashmiri journalist Shujaat Bukhari in June 2018.