section_path: Responsibility and motive
section_name: Responsibility and motive
paragraph_text: Responsibility and motive
  
  The Resistance Front (TRF) initially claimed responsibility for the attack, linking it to Indian government policy that allows non-Kashmiris to live and work in Kashmir, resulting in non-local settlement in Kashmir. In a statement on the social media platform Telegram, TRF opposed the granting of domicile certificates to "outsiders", and voiced discontent at resulting alleged demographic changes in the region. It claimed, "These non-locals arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then begin to act as if they own the land. Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally."
  
  TRF has a history of targeting non-Kashmiris on such grounds. In June 2020, it released a statement saying, "any Indian who comes with an intention to settle in Kashmir will be treated as an agent of RSS and not as civilian and will be dealt with appropriately." In December 2020, it shot and killed a 70-year-old goldsmith, who had lived in Kashmir close to 50 years, branding him part of the "settler" project. In February 2021, it killed a Punjabi restauranteur's son, even though Punjabis are a well-established part of Srinagar 's retail business, having arrived there well before 1947. In October of the same year, seven civilians were killed in the span of a week, including two school teachers, a pharmacist and poor economic migrants. According to political analyst and journalist Luv Puri, such killings of civilians are not condoned by the populace but the atmosphere of "mass-scale hysteria" in the Valley on potential demographic changes allows TRF to get away with them.
  
  On 26 April, TRF retracted responsibility for the attack, claiming that their initial claim of responsibility was a communications breach. TRF accused Indian intelligence operatives of having a part in the attack, and stated that they were conducting their own investigation into the perpetrators. Political-science professor and recognized expert on terrorism Max Abrahms wrote that the attack was indeed carried out by the TRF, noting his prior research revealing that terrorist groups commonly attempt false denials of responsibility for attacks that kill civilian targets, subsequently "backfire" in public opinion, and/or appear likely to trigger a robust military response.
  
  On 7 May 2025, the foreign secretary of India Vikram Misri stated in a press conference that the objective of the attack was to inflame communal violence in India and negatively impact the economy by attacking tourism in the union territory.