Special Services Group
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Categories: Commonwealth regiments and corps | Military of Pakistan | Special forces
Special Service Group or SSG is an Independent Commando Brigade of the Pakistan Army. It is an elite commando force that similar to the Green Berets. Official numbers are put at 2,100 men, in 3 Battalions however the actual strength is classified. It is estimated to have been increased to 4 Battalions with eventual formation of 2 Brigades of Special Forces (6 Battalions).
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Origins
Based out of Cherat and Attock, the SSG started out as an irregular military unit called, the 19th Baluch Regiment in the 1950s with active support from U.S. Special Operations Forces. SSG officers were sent in large numbers to the United States for Special Forces training. Today, it comprises of various companies within each battalion specialized in a specific roles including desert warfare, ranger, mountain warfare etc.
All members of the SSG must be/are parachute qualified (para qualifications are given after conducting 5 day and 2 night static-line jumps). A large number of the SSG operators are also HALO/HAHO qualified. Additionally a Counter-terrorist hostage rescue company commonly referred to as Musa Company (all companies and Battalions of the SSG have names ascribed to them) is also part of the SSG.
Operations
- The SSG were first used sent in 1964, in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, codenamed Operation Gibraltar, their aim being a continued reconnaisance, sabotage of Indian Millitary facilities and eventual liberation of Kashmir from Indian control. This Operation was a failure and led to a full scale war after India discovered the infiltrators and attacked Pakistan in retaliation.
- The SSG was again used; this time as a full fledged unit in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 with unimpressive results. Due to poor planning and lack of information about the targets (3 Indian Airbases) the commandos numbering approx. 180 were airdropped into Indian territory with the intention of sabotaging these airbases in Western India. However the Indian troops managed to detect and foil the attempt capturing most of the intruders (~160) and killing some SSG personnel in the process. Approx. 20 or so commandos managed to make it back to Pakistan.
- 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. SSG conducted what would be considered to be "classic special forces missions" against Indian forces during this war. Eventually faced against massive political and military onslaught in East Pakistan, the SSG could do little in turning the tide of war. Of note is that Pervez Musharraf commanded a company of commandos during the war.
- The SSG was active in Afghanistan in the 1980s during Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, conducting different type of 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 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 and conducts regular operations as part of the Pakistani Special Operations Task Force in the Tribal Areas of North West Pakistan.
- The SSG has also conducted many operations in Siachen Glacier against the Indian positions. The most noted one took place in 1987 when Pervez Musharraf (then Brigadier) led a SSG unit assault on Indian posts before being beaten back. [1] In addition, some covert Operations in United Nations Millitary missions in Bosnia Herzegovina, Somalia and Sierra Leone have also been executed by SSG operators. In Somalia at 4 October 1993, they along with regular Army, rescued the US Special forces, during the Battle of Mogadishu, the occasion popularly known as Black Hawk Down.
- The involvement in the Kargil War involved early gains which were later lost due to political/military pressure and eventual withdrawl of Pakistani forces to the Line of Control.
- The SSG has been the primary outfit for Counter-terrorism capability in Pakistan (However as of 1994, each province has established its own CT-Swift Response Team which were trained by joint US CT experts and SSG operators from the Musa company as part of US support to Pakistan). The SSG team of operators (referred to as Musa Company of the SSG) has been involved in various successful hostage rescue operations including hijacking incidents since its inception in 1981.
Organization
Pakistani Special Forces have 3 battalions (bns):
- 1st "Yaldaram" Commando Battalion,
- 2nd "Pawinda" Commando Battalion,
- 3rd "Rahbar" Commando Battalion.
Plus two independent Commando companies:
- "Musa" Company - Antiterrorist company and,
- "Akbar" Company - A combat diver unit.
Components of the Battalions are constantly rotated between Cherat, Attock, and any other hot spot (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 is also used for providing 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 reconnaisance missions.
Appearance and Equipment
The commandos are distinguished by their insignia of maroon berets with a silver metal tab on a light blue felt square with a dagger & lightning bolts, and a wing on right side of chest. The combat uniform of the SSG is similar to the US woodland pattern camouflage coat and Khaki Pants. Other uniforms include cammies and black dungarees (for the CT team). The SSG is equipped with an array of modern weaponry which includes, Steyr AUG, HK G3, and Chinese Type-81/56 rifles, Colt M4 Carbines, and FN P90 and HK-MP5 (many diff. variants) Submachine guns. Light Machine Gun in use is Rheinmetall MG3 (locally produced along with HK G3s and MP 5s). In sniper role, the SSG CT teams are equipped with Steyr SSG-69, Finnish Tikka bolt-action and HK PSG1 and Dragunov SVD Semi-automatic rifles. Side arms includes various HK models. Most of the gear in use by the SSG is (and has been) of US origin.