SSG Pride Of Pakistan Army

Beginning Of Very Special Service Group :-

SSG Pakistan Army was raised by amalgamating 17/10th Baloch (19 Baloch) and 312 Garrison Company. Based out of Cherat and Attock, the SSG was created in 1956. That year, 19 Baloch was selected for conversion to a Special Operations Force. As a result of this, the SSG has inherited many of the traditions and insignia of the Baloch Regiment. The 19th Baloch Regiment's first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Abu Bakar Usman Mitha who commanded it for six years till 1961. The first commander of its Alpha Company was Major Gaideen Khan Abdullai Mahsud. Their initial training and orientation as regards tactics was based on the US Special Forces pattern with whom they co-operated closely in the Cold War years. The SSG initially had 6 companies and each company had specialization units, specialized in desert, mountain, ranger, and underwater warfare. The desert companies participated in training exercises with US Army Special Forces Mobile Training Team in late 1964. In August 1965, scope of SSG was raised from a battalion size force to larger Special Operations outfit and instead of 19 Baloch (SSG) they simply adopted the name Special Service Group. The scuba company in Karachi was renowned for its tough physical training. Later on, Chinese training, tactics, weapons, and equipment were also introduced.

Special Operations Carried Out By Special Services Group :-

Hindustan Pakistan War In 1965 :-

The SSG guerrillas were initially deployed along the Afghanistan border to repel Afghanistan incursions into Pakistan, but their first major deployment came during the war of 1965. Around 120 officers and men were dropped on the night of 6/7 September near the Hindustani airbases of Adampur, Pathankot and Halwara. Due to the poor intelligence, inadequate preparations, difficult terrain, and poor visibility, none of the teams were able to regroup after the drops. Most of the men were either killed or captured by civilians and Indian armed forces, and only a few made it back to Pakistan. Captain Hazur Hasnain and a few Jawans captured an Indian Army jeep and made it back via Fazilka. The operation was a disaster. By 1971, the SSG had grown to 3 battalions with 1 permanently stationed in East Pakistan.

Hindustan Pakistan War In 1971 :-

The performance of the SSG in 1971 was much better, with 1 Commando Battalion making a spectacular raid on an Indian artillery regiment, disabling several of their guns and inflicting heavy casualties.

SSG Operations In Afghanistanistan During Soviet Afghanistan War :-

During the Soviet war in Afghanistanistan, the SSG was deployed, disguised as Afghanistans and provided support to the Mujahideen fighting the Soviets. Author Aukai Collins, in the book My Jihad, reports that Pakistani commandos have engaged the Soviet Airborne Forces in a battle that had taken place in 1986 or 1987, when the Soviet Army had inserted about three thousand Spetsnaz-aided paratroopers in an attempt to advance all the way to the Pakistani border. About three hundred Pakistani commandos teamed up with five hundred Mujahideen and fought the Spetsnaz for twenty seven days. Another battle reported as having been fought between the Pakistanis and Soviet troops, in Kunar Province in March 1986. But the Russians claim that the battle have actually been fought between the GRU Spetsnaz's 15th Spetsnaz Brigade, and the Asama Bin Zaid regiment of Afghanistan Mujahideen under Commander Assadullah, belonging to Abdul Rasul Sayyaf's faction.

SSG Operations In Siachen And Kargill Wars With Hindustan :-

The SSG was also active on the eastern border with India and they have fought in Siachen. In the Kargil war SSG performed rather well in the initial stages, infiltrating relatively deep into Indian Territory undetected as sheep herders. During the period of snowfall all the Indian posts were empty and they didn't have to face any repulsion, though later when Indian Army came to know about it resulted in a full-fledged war in which SSG suffered many casualties. In 1980, the SSG's Musa Company, which was originally formed in 1970 as a combat diver unit, was given the anti-terrorist operations role. Musa Company got the best founders in the beginning like Major Faiz Akbar Shah and Captain Sajjad Ali Shah. They were UDT/Seals qualified from class 79 of American Navy Seals. Captain Sajjad, who later retired as a Lieutenant Colonel was a salvage expert and had the intensive training of underwater demolition. Musa Company was trained by British SAS advisers in mid-1981.

Other Special Operations Carried Out By SSG :-

▪ The SSG was first used in 1965 in the State of Jammu & Kashmir. In an operation codenamed Gibraltar, their aims were continued reconnaissance, sabotage of Indian military facilities and the eventual liberation of Kashmir from Indian control, though the operation didn't end as success.

▪ The SSG lead the Operation Clean Wash to eliminate a group of terrorists in Makkah in 1979.

▪ In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 they were once again used, this time in assistance to regular infantry units and for non-conventional and rescue operations. In the face of the massive political and military onslaught in East Pakistan, the SSG faced the Indian forces in the theater suffering heavy losses and could do little in turning the tide of war. Pervez Musharraf commanded a company of commandos during the war.

▪ SSG troops arrested Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the night of 25 March 1971 during Operation Searchlight. Upon his arrest, they sent a message to Dhaka Cantonment headquarters saying,

"Big bird in the cage".

▪ The SSG was active in Afghanistan in the 1980s during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, conducting covert and direct action missions. Again, when the balance of power shifted, it led some covert operations against the very Afghanistan government (Taliban) that Pakistan (along with USA, Saudi Arabia and UAE) had once aided, this time as part of the allied forces in operation Enduring Freedom. The SSG has aided in the capture of many senior Al Qaeda leaders, most notably Abu Zubaida and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.

▪ The SSG has also conducted operations on the Siachen Glacier against Indian positions.

▪ In addition, some covert operations in United Nations military missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia and Sierra Leone have also been executed by SSG operators.

▪ In Operation Black Thunderstorm, SSG troops abseiled from helicopters into Daggar, a town northwest of Islamabad, killing up to 50 militants.

Counter Terrorism Operations Of Special Services Group :-

▪ In September 1986, Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked by terrorists while it was refueling in Karachi. As negotiations stalled and the terrorists started to kill passengers, SSG stormed the plane. The SSG killed one hijacker and captured the rest.

▪ In February 1994, Afghanistan hijackers took over a school bus with 74 children and 8 teachers. They drove to the Afghanistan mission in Islamabad where they released 57 students but kept 16 boys and the teachers. The negotiations led nowhere and it was decided to free the hostages by force. The Pakistani authorities had somehow managed to inform the children of the impending raid. The SSG commandos used a secondary explosion as a distraction and entered the room at the Afghanistan embassy where the hostages were being held, killing the three hijackers. The operation lasted about 20 seconds.

▪ In May 1998, three members of the Baloch terrorists took over a PIA Fokker plane because they were angry at the government for conducting nuclear tests in Baluchistan. As negotiations dragged, SSG commandos rushed the plane and apprehended all 3 hijackers. None of the passengers were harmed during the assault.

▪ On 30 March 2009, SSG successfully participated in thwarting the 2009 Lahore police academy attacks.

▪ On 10 October 2009, militants attacked the Pakistan Military Headquarters, taking hostage 42 civil and military officials. SSG commandos rescued 39 hostages and killed 9 militants, capturing one. The militants have been linked to Ilyas Kashmiri being a leading Al Qaeda commander operating alongside Tehrik-e-Taliban. A total of six SSG commandos and three hostages were killed in the operation. As reported by ISPR (Inter Services Public Relations) http://www.ispr.gov.pk/front/main.asp?o=t-press_release&id=930. The operation was undertaken by SSG's Counter Terrorism Force. Three more SSG commandos, injured during the operation, died in the hospital on October 12.

SSG Pride Of Pakistan Army

Interaction With Other World Special Forces :-

SSG conducts regular (bi-annual) exercises with the Turkish Special Forces which have been designated as the "Ataturk" series. The first of these exercises was held in December 1998. The Turkish force included 21 officers and 14 non-commissioned officers. The second exercise of this series was held in November 2000, while Atatürk-III concluded in September 2002.

During the 1980s and then into the 1990s, SSG held many similar training exercises with US Special Forces called "Inspired Venture". These exercises were usually held during the early months of January and February with approximately 150 US troops. The exercises were focused on weapon familiarization and use, mountain-warfare along with tactics, raids and ambushes, and eventually airborne operations.

The SSG also conducts exercises with Chinese Special Forces. In 2006, China and Pakistan conducted an eight-day exercise called the Pakistan-China Joint Exercise Friendship-2006.

SSG has also been reported to train with the Jordanian Royal Special Forces and Iranian Quds Force and conducts training for Special Forces of other Middle Eastern countries at Cherat.

Deployment Of Special Services Group :-

Components of the battalions are constantly rotated between Cherat, Attock, Tarbela and any other hot spots (such as Pakistan-India border or when Pakistani forces are deployed overseas as part of the UN peace keeping operations) in order to provide experience to the operators. The SSG are used to provide security to various vital points such as the strategic nuclear facilities in Pakistan. It is thought that a number of SSG operators are stationed in Saudi Arabia for the protection of the Saudi royal family. Many SSG officers and other ranks are routinely seconded to the Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for clandestine and reconnaissance missions. SSG has planted some of their operatives under command of ISI within various civilian government and private institutions for various security purposes. The details of the operatives are highly classified. Most of the operatives of this "covert" division are planted in educational institutes.

Notable Operators Of Special Services Group :-

Major General Abu Bakar Usman Mitha is known as the Father of Special Service Group of Pakistan Army.

General Pervez Musharraf Commanded Operation To Release Khana Kaaba From Militants. Who was young and energetic commando was given the responsibility to lead the operation and clear the Kaaba from militants.

Lt. General (Retd) Haroon Aslam is known for leading Operation Rah-e-Rast in Swat valley in 2009. Under his command the (Special Services Group) fought bravely in Piochar Valley and liberated that area from the terrorists.

Brigadier Tariq Mehmood (Brigadier TM) was a legendary soldier and commander of SSG. Brigadier TM was one of the most decorated soldiers in Pakistan with 2 Sitara-e-Jurat (Bar), Sitar-e-Basalat and Hilal-e-Shujaat (posthumous). TM died on 29 May 1989, when his parachute did not open. One of the training exercises in Pakistan Military Academy is named after him (TM Raiders) and two crossroads (chowks) are named after him; one in Gujranwala, where he died and one in Rawalpindi outside the General Headquarters of Pakistan Army.

Colonel Abu Tahir from Bangladesh Army (was an officer of former Pakistan Army ) joined the elite Special Service Group (Commando Force) in 1965. He was one of the first Bengali Commandos who joined in SSG. Following his training, he participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 in the Kashmir sector and the Sialkot sector. For his part, he received a gallantry award from the Government of Pakistan. After the war, Tahir took advanced training on Guerrilla Warfare at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning in the United States in 1969. He was posted to the Quetta Staff College, Pakistan in 1970.He is considered as one of the best and most dangerous commandos in the history of SSG.

General Mirza Aslam Beg the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army from 1987 to 1991. As a major, Beg commanded an SSG company in 1960 during the Dir-Bajaur Operation in the North-West Frontier Province.

General Shamim Alam Khan, former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. As a major, he commanded an SSG company in Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, for which he was awarded Sitara-e-Jurat.

Major General Ameer Faisal Alavi (28 March 1954 – 19 November 2008) was a Pakistan Army 2 star general and special operations expert who was the first General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the elite Special Service Group of Pakistan Army. A former member of Special Service Group, he was credited with masterminding the Angoor Ada operation in 2004, where many Arabs and Chechans based in the tribal areas were killed or arrested and turned over to the Americans. On 19 November 2008, while driving to work in his car in Islamabad, he was shot dead by three unknown gunmen. It was alleged that Ilyas Kashmiri, the chief of Jammu & Kashmir chapter of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami, was behind the murder of Maj-Gen Alavi at the behest of the Taliban in North Waziristan.

History of Pakistan army is filled with stories of great sons of soil who sacrficed their lives for the greater good future of Pakistan. Many of these sons were trained by Special Services Group. Special Services Group is the most decorated independent battalion of Pakistan Army.

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