Special Services Group
This page is about the Pakistan Army's special forces, for the
Pakistan Navy, see Special Service Group Navy and for the Pakistan Air
Force, see Special Service Wing
The
Special Services Group (SSG) is the main special operations
force of the Pakistan Army. The SSG is a regiment sized group, and is
headquartered at Tarbela. It is headed by a Major-General and divided
into ten battalions, the actual numbers in each battalion are
classified.
History
19 phastoon rigment (SSG Pak)
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| Special Services Group Insignia outside SSG former Headquarters at Cherat |
SSG Pak 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 operation 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 (later Major General) Aboobaker Osman Mitha
who commanded it for six years till 1961.
The first commander of its Alpha Company was Major (later Lieutenant
Colonel) Gaideen Khan Abdullai Mahsud. Their initial training and
orientation as regards tactics was based on the US Special F
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.
orces
pattern with whom they co-operated closely in the Cold War years.
Indo-Pakistan War of 1965
The SSG guerrillas were initially deployed along the Afghan border to
repel Afghan incursions into Pakistan, but their first major deployment
came during the war of 1965. By 1971, the SSG had grown to 3 battalions with 1 permanently stationed in East Pakistan
Indo-Pakistan War of 1971
The performance of the SSG in 1971 was much better, with 1 Commando
Battalion making a single raid on an Indian artillery regiment,
disabling several of their guns and inflicting casualties.
SSG involvement in Soviet Afghan War
During Operation Magistral, it is alleged that the SSG came into regular contact with Soviet forces. One of these incidents was the Battle for Hill 3234, where a company of Soviet paratroopers engaged a force of Mujahideen believed to be SSG. The Mujahideen wore black uniforms with rectangular black-yellow-red stripes.
It is claimed by at least two sources that the Mujahideen were actually members of the Special Services Group.
According to the Soviet estimates, the SSG lost over 200 men.
Another battle reported as having been fought between the Pakistanis
and Soviet troops occurred in Kunar Province in March 1986. But the
Russians claim that the battle was actually fought between the GRU 15th Spetsnaz Brigade and the Asama Bin Zaid regiment of the Afghan Mujahideen under Commander Assadullah, belonging to Abdul Rasul Sayyaf's faction.
Siachen and Kargil War
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 . 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 under water demolition. Musa Company was trained by British SAS
advisers in mid-1981.
