Roots of establishment

The vintage and classical Arm's SSG Insignia.

In 1950, the Pakistan Army established the school, Close Quarter Battle School, dedicated for teaching the methods of close quarters combat under Colonel Grant Taylor of the British Army in Quetta, Balochistan in Pakistan– the school was later moved to Attock under Colonel Kahoon, also an officer in the British Army.^[5] Citing unknown and unspecified reasons, the Close Quarter Battle School under Col. Kahoon was permanently closed and its passed out personnel who had earlier formed the 312th Garrison Company (312 Gar Coy (FF)), a light infantry, initially attached the military unit to the Frontier Force Regiment (FF Regiment) in 1952— the 312 Gar Coy (FF) still remains a part of the Frontier Force Regiment.^[5]

Creation from the 19th Regiment

An Army SSG specialist, in U.S. Woodland uniform, performing the Mountain warfare course in a demonstration being performed for the Russian Spetnaz in 2016.

In 1953–54, the United States Army raised a special forces unit within the Pakistan Army to provide intelligence and combat defense against Soviet Union's expanding sphere of influence in Central Asia.^{: contents [6]} The U.S. assistance helped raise the special forces unit from the simple infantry regiment, the 19th Baloch, that provided an ideal cover from its covert nature of works.^{: contents [6]} In 1955, the 17th Baloch infantry was incorporated with the 19th Baloch, followed by the special forces training began to conduct under Lt Col. Donald W. Bunte^[7] from the Special Forces of the United States Army.^[5]

On 23 March 1956, the Special Service Group (SSG) was established as a Battalion under the command of its first commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel A. O. Mitha, after founding the School of Special Operations (SSO) under the advisement of army officers from the U.S. Army's Special Forces.^{: contents [6][8][9][2][10]} The Special Service Group's institution and the physical training remained under the command of Lt-Col. Mitha until 1961–62.^[11] The headquarter of the Army Special Service Group was then based out in Cherat, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan.^[5]

Initially, the SSG were popular as the Green Berets with Baloch insignia in the 1950s, but SSG dropped their green berets in favor of adopting the Baloch Regiment's maroon berets– hence giving them the nickname the Maroon Berets. In 1964, the Parachute Training School (PTS) was established under the watchful guidance of 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army, and training on the desert warfare with U.S. Special Forces' Mobile Training Team begin, followed by the Navy SSG established by the U.S. Navy SEALs as a deep diving team, which was known for its physical training in Karachi in 1966–70.^{: 70 [12]}

In 1970, the Musa Company was established that solely specialized in anti-terrorist operations, receiving training from the British SAS advisers after U.S. had suspended the IMET program with Pakistan in 1981.^: 70

The Army SSG initially had six battalions and each battalion had specialization units, specialized in the different war spectrum: desert, mountain, long-distance ranger, and deep diving warfare.^[10] In August 1965, the operational scope of the Army SSG was expanded from a battalion-size to larger special operation outfit.^[10] In 1968–70, the Pakistan Army integrated the Chinese introduced physical training, tactics, weapons, and equipments.^[10]

Covert actions, Indo-Pakistani wars, and overseas missions

The Kashmir Valley in 1965: The Army Special Service Group teams were successful in their infiltration mission in 1964 but the plan failed when the local Kashmiris alerted the Indian agencies of this expedition, resulting India mounting an invasion on Pakistan in 1965.^{: 53 [13]}

The first war time deployment of the Army Special Service Group took place in 1960 with their first special reconnaissance mission in the former tribal belt near the porous Durand Line– the Afghanistan-Pakistan's line of international border.^[11] In 1960–61, the Army Special Forces team under Major Mirza Aslam Beg had successfully inserted in Dir and took control of the law and order situation by removing the instigating Nawab of Dir in Chitral in North-West Frontier Province.^[14]

In 1964–65, the teams of Special Service Group successfully executed the covert operation in Indian-administered Kashmir but the operation failed from the very beginning due to lack of understanding of the local culture and language, eventually met with hostility with locals who alerted the Indian government authorities.^{: 53 [13][15]}

The second war with India saw the testing and shaping of the Army Special Service Group when the Indian Army charged and invaded the Pakistan-side of Punjab in response to the covert actions took place in Indian Administered Kashmir. The airborne missions of the Army Special Service Group included performing the combat parachuting at the Indian airbases with an intention of launching a ground assaults in the Indian Air Force's air stations in Pathankot, Adampur, and the Halwara.^{: contents [16]} 180 SSG commandos boarded ^[17] a Pakistan Air Force's C-130 Hercules, the three airborne formations were flown detected on the night of 7 September 1965, first performing combat jumping at Pathankot at 02:30 hours but the wind velocity led to the scattering of the teams, due to the difficult terrain and poor visibility, none of the teams were able to re-group after the drop. Of the 180 commandos dropped, 138, including all officers but one, were captured and safely taken to prisoner of war (POW) camps. Twenty-two were lynched by villagers armed with sticks, police and even bands of muleteers released by the Indian Army, from the animal transport battalion of the nearby Corps headquarters.^[18]

Only 20 commandos were unaccounted for and most escaped back to Pakistan under the fog. Most of these were from the Pathankot group, dropped less than 10 km from the border in an area that had plenty of ravines, riverine tracks to navigate back along. One notable, commando-style escape was of Major Hazur Hasnain, the Halwara group commander who, along with his friend, hijacked a jeep and somehow managed to return safe.^[19]

The Pakistani accounts, the latest of which comes now from several participants in the wake of the 1965 at 50 commemorations, acknowledged the SSG-commando disaster but blamed it on poor briefing, planning and callous arrogance of the commanders. Some of these former Pakistani soldiers even write about having met some of these paratroopers and exchanged notes with them on how badly planned the operation was. Here is the account of Col SG Mehdi, himself a commando officer then. The fortified forces ’ conditioning in no way undermines its  elevation, but by blocking free speech, the government has politicized the issue and brought the military leadership into the global  spotlight.^[20] By 1970–71, the Pakistan Army had permanently posted one Army Special Service Group 3rd Commando Battalion in East-Pakistan under Lt-Col. Tariq Mehmood, begin working with local authorities in maintaining security situation in the East-Pakistan, near the border of Eastern India.^{: 244 [21]} The performance of the Army Special Service Group was reported to be much better than their performance in 1965, with 1st Command Battalion (Yaldram) and 2nd Commando Battalion (Rahber) engaged in several of their successful sabotage missions against the Indian Army's artillery and infantry regiments, while the 3rd Command Battalion in East oriented towards successfully engaging in the seek and destroy missions.^{: contentes [6][10]} Their final mission included the mounting of the successful defense of the Shahjalal International Airport against the Indian Army-backed Mukti Bahini, and were the last army special forces formation that had departed from the airport before the Dacca fall to India on 16 December 1971.^{: 78:130 [22]}

From 1972–77, the Pakistan Army went into reorganization and major restructuring of its combat services but the Army Special Service Group remained active in successfully tackling the armed insurgency in Balochistan in Pakistan.^{: 10 [23]}

War in Afghanistan and Sri Lankan civil war

In 1979–89, the Army Special Service Group had been seconded in covert actions in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union's armed intervention. There have been unconfirmed reports of the Army Special Service Group engaging in armed battles with the Soviet paratroopers in incidents including the Battle for Hill 3234 and the Operation Magistral.^[24][25]

When the Battle for Hill 3234 concluded, the Soviet paratroopers found that the Afghan mujaheddin actually wore the black uniforms with rectangular black-yellow-red stripes, and suspected to be Army Special Service Group personnel; Pakistan's government has officially denied their involvement. The American author, Aukai Collins, identified the elements as "Black Storks" who crossed the border to join the Afghan mujahideen – a claim also backed by American author, David Campbell.^{: 60–61 [26]} Another battle was taken place between the Soviet paratroopers and the Afghan mujahideen in Kunar in 1986 that suspected the Army Special Service Group's involvement but the Russians dismissed the claim and noted that the battle was fought between the GRU's 15th Spetsnaz Brigade and Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf's group.^[27]

Siachen, Kargil, and War on Terror in Afghanistan

The Siachen Glacier in Pakistan. According to the medical reports by Medical Corps, the death ratio of Pakistan Army soldiers is mostly due to the zero temperature and lack of oxygen than then enemy contact with India's Paramilitary Forces, which is mostly deployed at the much warmer areas nearing Leh district.^[28]

When the Indian Army's successful expedition took control of the Siachen Glacier from Pakistan, the ISI's Covert Action Division (CAD) inserted in the region, confirming the intrusion and movement of Indian Army soldiers in 1983.^{: 75 [29]} The Army Special Service Group was immediately deployed to engage in the armed battle with the Indian Army at 20,000 feet (6,100 m) above sea level.^[30] Led by Captain Muhammad Iqbal, the only 12-men Army Special Service team had to hiked at the 19,000 feet (5,800 m) to reach the Indian Army's resting camp.^{: 83 [31]} Battle with Indian Army ensued and Special Service Group commandos but didnt gained much due to Adverse weather conditions and Enormous heights ^{: 85 [32]}

Over the years, the Army Special Service Group have developed expertise in high altitude warfare, and are regularly deployed in Siachen.^{: 18 [33]}

Since 2001, the Army Special Forces have been engaged in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and remote areas in areas adjacent to Afghanistan—their notable antiterror operation included the successful clearance of the Red Mosque in Islamabad from al-Qaeda sympathizers.^[34] The Army Special Forces teams also taken parts in raiding and attacking the terrorists elements in near border with Afghanistan, working often with U.S. Army's Special Forces in Afghanistan.^[35]

In 2014, the Army Special Service Group reportedly successful in their manhunt operation after targeting and killing of Adnan Gulshair, a Saudi citizen known as the Global Operations Chief of al-Qaeda. In January 2013, India accused Pakistan that Army Special Service Group led an attack across the Line of Control in which Indian soldiers were killed and beheaded.^[36][37]

Battalions in the Special Forces

Pakistan Army soldiers saluting during a tactical exercise with Russian Ground Forces, wearing their maroon berets for which they are known for.

The Special Service Group is organized into eight battalions and three companies – all trained and specialists in the specific type of war operations.^[1] However, the Army has never issued an actual strength number for the special forces.^[16] The official strength of each battalion is treated as classified information.^[40]

The SSG battalions are each typically commanded by a lieutenant colonel (varies, and depends on availability), and the battalions are organized into groups under the command of colonels. The overall commander of the Special Service Group is a major general whose identity is also kept secret.^[40]

Sources:Sharma, Rajeev (1999). Pakistan's Proxy War: A Story of ISI, Bin Laden and Kargil. New Delhi, India: Kaveri Book Service. p. 223. ISBN 9788174790354.. For a description of the modern special forces, see: global context of the Special forces.

Qualifications and physicals

An Army SSG soldier performing descent during the mountain warfare course demonstrated for the Russian Ground Forces in 2016.

The Army specialist recruiter teams usually visit the different headquarters of the army's formation, distributing the pamphlets to the officers at OF-1 rank and enlisted personnel.^[5] The military physical standards, examinations, and criteria are same for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines' special forces selections and training, often training in close coordination.^[42]

The Navy Special Service Group (SSGN) plays an important role in the overall architecture of the special operations forces, their qualification standards, fitness at all levels, and eligibility required for the security clearances.^{: 100 [38]}

There are three schools that the overall basic eligibility requirements to be considered for entry into the schools of the Special Forces are:

• Special Operations School (Spec Ops.)
  • Be age of ≥ 25–39.^[5]
  • Be a citizen of Pakistan.^[5]
  • Must be Volunteered, not coerced.^[42]
  • Minimum of 5 Years of military service.^[42]
  • Must pass the Physical Fitness Assessment with at least 40 push-ups in one minute, 40 sit-ups in one minute, 15 pull-ups, and be able to run 1.6 kilometers in a maximum of 7:30.^[42]
  • Meet medical fitness standards as outlined in Medical Category TV.^[42]
  • Eligible for a secret security clearance.^[42]
  • Must have 20/20 or corrected to 20/20 in both near and distant vision in both eyes.^[5]
  • Should be able to swim 30 meters in full service uniform with weapon, the standard rifle, Koch G3A3.^[42]
• Sniper School
  • Must have 20/20 or corrected to 20/20 in both near and distant vision in both eyes.^[5]
  • Medical Category "A".^[42]
• Frogman School
  • Medical Category "A".^[42]
  • Must have qualification in Chamber test up to 180 feet sea water.^[42]
• Swimming Standards
  • Should be able to swim 200 meters in 7 minutes (breast stroke).^[42]
  • Should be able to swim 25 meters Underwater.^[42]

Selection and training

The Army SSG personnel preparing the mountain hike and survival skill sets in a demonstration being performed to the Russian Ground Forces's Spetsnaz in 2016.

The medical standards in various physical courses into the entrance in the Special Forces in Pakistan are maintained to be very high and extremely competitive, resulting in a high dropout rate even at the very early stage of selection, according to the Pakistan Army's official report in 2013.^{: 85 [42][43]} The Pakistan Army's Medical Corps keeps the qualification and selections standards difficult and competitive in the Pakistani military to only ensure that the suitable and qualified intakes in the Special Forces in the Pakistan military as the special forces cannot be mass-produced nor it can arise in the extenuating situations.^[42]

Prior to joining the Special Service Group, the interested junior army officers (usually at OF-1 and OF-2) and enlisted personnel must have spent their committed military careers for at least five years and must be volunteered to join the Special Service Group.^[42] Once selected through successfully undergoing through the medical evaluation, the interested personnel must report to the Parachute Training School in Peshawar to volunteer for the airborne training, and must get the airborne qualification badge from the airborne training school.^[5] The airborne training course held for four weeks where the interested personnel must excelled the HALO/HAHO methods with five-day jumps and three-night military free fall.

After gaining their airborne qualification badge, the army personnel then reports to Cherat from Peshawar– a nominal distance between two cities is approximated between 62.9 kilometres (39.1 mi)^[44]– engage through this journey by the foot while wearing their full military gear (30 kilograms).^[5] The interested individual must undergoes a 24-week of military training and training process once reported to Cherat.^{: 85–86 [43]}

The training courses in the Special Service Group emphasis strong physical conditioning and mental fitness, including the everyday based surprised strategic thinking quiz^[5] and a 36-mile march in 12 hours.^[45] Violation of the military code and ethics by the trainee soldier resulted in including the 9.3 kilometres (5.8 mi) march from Cherat to Chapri with full 36 pounds (16 kg) military gear.^[5]

The curriculum of the basic military training course included the mastery in Judo and Karateka, special weapons training, military navigation, and handling and disarming of the chemical explosives, survival skill training.^[5] There are schools of special warfare that the trainee soldier chooses: Snow and High Altitude School, Mountain Warfare School, Airborne Warfare School, Desert Warfare School, Sniper School, and Frogman School. These schools offers the advanced training courses which runs for additional 25–30 weeks (depending on student's choosing of his career), and only successfully passed out personnel are awarded with badges of their specialized fields by their specialized school faculty.^[5] The dropout rates of Special Service Group(Army) is 85 to 90 Percent because of extremely tough training process. Every year, thousands of Applicants apply to join the SSG but at the end, maximum of 100 to 120 cadets get their recommendation letter for Special Service Group. The army personnel interested in the underwater demolition must be trained with their Navy counterparts in Manora Island in the Karachi coast including being qualified to get their long-range swimming qualification badge from the Naval authorities.^[46]

The Special Service Group criteria meet special forces training and selection criteria of the United States Army

Interaction with other special forces

Main articles: United States-Pakistan military relations, China–Pakistan relations, Pakistan–Russia relations, and Pakistan–Turkey relations

A U.S. Army's airborne specialist interacting with the Army SSG airborne trooper for the airborne mission training in Egypt in 2009.

Since its establishment in 1956, the Army Special Service Group have been regularly interacted and trained together with the United States Army Special Forces–though the Pakistan Army's infantry branch had first participated in Exercise Vulcan and Exercise Handicap in 1954.^{[5]: 14 [47]} Besides training and the interaction with the United States Army, Pakistan Army Special Service Group have held joint special warfare training exercises with the Special Air Service (SAS) of the British Army, Special Forces Command of the Turkish Land Forces, Special Operation Forces of the Royal Jordanian Army, the Special Operation Forces of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Forces, and the Spetsnaz of the Russian Ground Forces.^[46]

For their overseas deployment for the purpose of the education and training, the Special Service Group have been deployed in Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, Turkmenistan, Egypt, Japan, and Iraq where its operatives have overseen the friendly nations special forces programs.^[46]

Since 1998, the Army Special Service Group biannually conducts the military exercise with the Turkish Land Forces's Special Forces, which have been designated as the "Jinnah–Atatürk Series."^[48] The military exercise held in Pakistan is known as "Atatürk Exercise" while in Turkey, it is known as "Jinnah Exercise."^[48] The first of these series of exercise were held in Pakistan, with twenty-one Turkish Land Forces officers and fourteen enlists coming to Pakistan for the exercise– Pakistan reciprocated the visit in 2000.^[48] The Jinnah-Atatürk Series are oriented and focused towards the snow, high-altitude, and mountain warfare."^[48]

With renewed military relations with the United States Army in the 1990s, the Army Special Service Group conducted several military exercises with the United States Army Special Forces (SF), known as the "Exercise Inspired Venture/Gambit", with first being held in 1993.^[49] The Exercise Inspired Venture/Gambit is oriented and directed towards focusing on special weapon familiarization, mountain warfare, night time assaults, air assault techniques in counter-terrorism measures.^[49]

Since 2006, the Army Special Service Group also conducts training with the People's Liberation Army Ground Forces Special Operation Forces, which is known as the Pakistan-China Joint Exercise Friendship– this exercise is oriented towards tackling insurgencies and improving methods in counterterrorism.^[50] In 2008–09, the Army Special Service Group, together with the United States Army Special Forces, participated in the multinational security exercise, the Operation Bright Star, held in Alexandria in Egypt in 2009 to train with the Thunderbolt Forces of the Egyptian Army.^[5]

In 2016, the Army Special Service Group conducted the annual military exercise with the Russian Ground Forces' Spetsnaz–the Russo-Pakistani military exercise is known as Druzhba (lit. Friendship).^[51] The Druzhba with Russian Spetsnaz are oriented and focused towards mountain warfare and tactics in counterterrorism in taking out and eliminating the terrorist organizations with first being held in 2016 and the recent being held in 2018.^[52]

Counterterrorism operations timeline

The Special Operation Forces School in Cherat with the Russian Flag waving.

• On 5 September 1986, Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked by terrorists while it was refueling in Karachi. In the chaos, the pilots had managed to escape causing the hijackers to begin negotiations with the authorities. As negotiations stalled and the terrorists began to kill the passengers forced towards the back of the plane. Plane doors were opened allowing passengers to jump. The SSG was forced storm the plane, killing one hijacker and capturing the rest.
• On 20 February 1994, some terrorists of Afghanistan hijacked a school bus with 74 children and 8 teachers. They drove to the Afghan 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.^[53] The SSG commandos used a secondary explosion as a distraction and entered the room at the Afghan embassy where the hostages were being held, killing the three hijackers. The operation lasted about 20 seconds.^[54]
• On 25 May 1998, three terrorists took over a PIA Fokker plane, Flight 544, who wanted it to fly to Bhuj in Gujrat India. As negotiations dragged, SSG commandos rushed the plane and apprehended all 3 hijackers. None of the passengers were harmed during the assault.^[55]
• On Sept 2007, At least 15 soldiers from SSG commando unit were killed and 27 commandos were wounded in a blast, apparently set off by a suicide bomber. The attack took place about 50 miles outside the capital, Islamabad, in the cantonment area of Tarbela Ghazi at the brigade headquarters of the Special Operation Task Force.^[56][57]
• On 10 October 2009, militants attacked the Pakistan Military Headquarters, taking hostage 42 civil and military officials. SSG commandos rescued 39 hostages and killed 4 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) .^[58] Three more SSG commandos, injured during the operation, died in the hospital on 12 October.^[59]
• On 16 December 2014, SSG Commandos from the Zarrar Company were tasked with clearing an Army Public School which was raided by seven Tahreek-e-Taliban (TTP) Terrorists in Peshawar. All Terrorists were eliminated and the school was cleared. Around 149 people, mostly students aged between 12-16 were killed by the Terrorists. The school had about 1,000 students, they were able to rescue about 840 people.^[60]

Uniforms and insignia

The U.S. M81 colors with Maroon berets is the standard uniform for the Army Special Service Group's Battle Dress Uniform as seen worn by the officers in 2017.

In the 1970s, the Army Special Service Group Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) was standard Khaki but this was changed to British-styled DPM.^[1] In the 1990s, the Battle Dress Uniform was changed in favor of adopting the U.S. woodland (or M81) with a maroon berets, a common color for the airborne forces, with a silver metal tab on a light blue felt square with a dagger and lightning bolts, and a wing on the right side of the chest.^{: 100 [38]}

The counterterrorism teams, on the other hand, include camouflage and black dungarees (for the CT team).^[1]

The Special Service Group Navy, SSG Navy, is distinguished by a dark blue beret with three versions of the "fouled anchor" navy badge for officers, NCOs and enlisted men. A metal SSGN qualification badge featuring a vertical dagger superimposed over a midget submarine is worn over the left pocket on dress uniforms. Parachute wings are worn over the right pocket.

The Special Service Wing, SSW, is distinguished by maroon berets with PAF Officer, JCO or Airmen insignia on the beret, and a wing on the right side of the chest. The combat uniform of SSW is olive drab camouflage. They also wear their special service wing insignia on the left shoulder "Winged Dragons and lightning bolts".

Equipment

SSG troop with an M4 carbine.

The U.S.-built M4 carbine rifle— This is the standard issue rifle for the Army Special Service Group.

The Austrian-designed Steyr AUG assault rifle is standard issue for the counterterrorism teams.

Pistols

•  Germany SIG Sauer P226/P229
•  Germany Heckler & Koch USP
•  Austria Glock 17/19
•  Pakistan POF Eye

Submachine guns

•  Germany Heckler & Koch MP5
•  Belgium FN P90

Assault rifles

•  USA M4A1 Carbine
•  Austria Steyr AUG
•   Switzerland SIG SG 550

Sniper rifles

•  Pakistan PSR-90
•  Austria Steyr SSG 69
•  UK Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
•  USA Barrett M82
•  UK RPA Rangemaster .50

Heavy Armament

•  USA M249
•  Russia RPG-7
•  USA SMAW
•  Germany MILAN ATGM
•  Pakistan Anza MANPADS
• Source: Army Special Service Group's Weapon System by Military Factor. Inside Pakistan's Sharp Sword - The Special Service Group (SSG) by Pakistan's Premier Military Defence Forum.