Pakistan's Special Operations Forces: SSG | SSGN | SSW | SOW | SOG

[Sifar zero]

A light commando

View attachment 780093

Is this his own ACOG or it's standard issue?

 

[blain2]

Is this his own ACOG or it's standard issue?

Nobody in Pakistan brings their own sights and installs on service rifles. That weapon, after training, firing, is going back into the unit "kote" and is not the property of individuals.

 

[Maarkhoor]

Nobody in Pakistan brings their own sights and installs on service rifles. That weapon, after training, firing, is going back into the unit "kote" and is not the property of individuals.

I used to have my personal side arm.......

 

[R Wing]

The SSG has the capability and training to operate behind enemy lines. The issue is the return on such missions. SSG is far better utilized when employed across the LoC/IB to operate against conventional forces. While under-reported, in 1965, the companies that were deployed along the IB/LoC carried out some really interesting operations. Had the rest of the companies been employed in the same manner instead of being sent off on an ill-conceived para mission over Indian Punjab, they would have caused significant problems for Indian advance. Far more than what the regular infantry was able to achieve.

This is why operating very deep behind enemy lines isn't necessarily the best application of the SSG. While it makes for good story telling and plots for movies, much greater tactical value is in employment of these troops along our frontiers. Only if absolutely necessary then perhaps some operations at depth can be conducted.

But a point of an army is not just to fight internal threats --- paramilitary forces should be sufficiently developed to do that. Army units should only be there for support in very critical cases.

An army's primary fighting duty should always remain a.) defensive ops in case of an invasion and other forms of aggression and b.) offensive ops in enemy territory.

 

[PanzerKiel]

Is this his own ACOG or it's standard issue?

Nobody in Pakistan brings their own sights and installs on service rifles. That weapon, after training, firing, is going back into the unit "kote" and is not the property of individuals.

For the past decade now, we all can modify our weapons.... These sights are being issued as well as it is allowed to install own sights... Not a big deal nowadays....

 

[Zarvan]

A light commando

View attachment 780093

Is that SOPMOD ?

 

[Aryeih Leib]

I don't know if it's the right thread but does pakistan have a dedicated training institute for high altitude warfare ,?

 

[iLION12345_1]

Is that SOPMOD ?

SOPMOD isnt a rifle, it’s a bunch of accessories that make up multiple kits, I’m sure you’re aware. That rifle has some of the parts of it Yes. You can’t have all of the SOPMOD kit on a rifle at once anyways since what you’re using depends on mission profile (grenade launchers, thermal or normal scopes etc).

 

[PanzerKiel]

I don't know if it's the right thread but does pakistan have a dedicated training institute for high altitude warfare ,?

AHAWS Rattu.

 

[Bratva]

Source: Spy stories inside the secret world of the RAW and the ISI

Insider Attacks in Tarbela Ghazi and on ISI vehicles in September 2007

Bomb in Pakistan Kills at Least 15 From Elite Unit (Published 2007)

A blast Thursday evening, apparently set off by a suicide bomber, tore through the dining hall of a military installation.

www.nytimes.com

27 die as suicide bombers hit high security areas

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: Two suicide bombers struck two localities in the high-security zone in the garrison...

www.dawn.com

"

The first blast took place at about 7.20am in a bus and it was so powerful that it destroyed the whole vehicle, killing and injuring most of the passengers.

Mohammad Arif, one of the injured, told Dawn that there were at least 60 people in the vehicle when its driver stopped to pick up three employees.

“As bus driver stopped the vehicle and some people stepped inside, a huge explosion occurred,” Asif said. Later, he said, he was told in a hospital that the bus was torn to pieces and bodies were scattered all over the place.

18 die in Rawalpindi suicide attacks

RAWALPINDI, Nov 24: Two suicide bombers struck in the city during the morning rush, targeting military personnel and...

www.dawn.com

 

[R Wing]

Source: Spy stories inside the secret world of the RAW and the ISI

Insider Attacks in Tarbela Ghazi and on ISI vehicles in September 2007



View attachment 784856

Bomb in Pakistan Kills at Least 15 From Elite Unit (Published 2007)

A blast Thursday evening, apparently set off by a suicide bomber, tore through the dining hall of a military installation.

www.nytimes.com

View attachment 784857

27 die as suicide bombers hit high security areas

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: Two suicide bombers struck two localities in the high-security zone in the garrison...

www.dawn.com

"

The first blast took place at about 7.20am in a bus and it was so powerful that it destroyed the whole vehicle, killing and injuring most of the passengers.

Mohammad Arif, one of the injured, told Dawn that there were at least 60 people in the vehicle when its driver stopped to pick up three employees.

“As bus driver stopped the vehicle and some people stepped inside, a huge explosion occurred,” Asif said. Later, he said, he was told in a hospital that the bus was torn to pieces and bodies were scattered all over the place.

18 die in Rawalpindi suicide attacks

RAWALPINDI, Nov 24: Two suicide bombers struck in the city during the morning rush, targeting military personnel and...

www.dawn.com

The Tarbela attack was by a milkman (multiple decades working with the SSG from what I recall) --- could be wrong. @PanzerKiel might now.

I like the gora system of even General Officers being treated as strangers when entering sensitive bases/premises, let alone a milkman. Painstaking security and checks every. single. time.

 

[AMG_12]

Source: Spy stories inside the secret world of the RAW and the ISI

Insider Attacks in Tarbela Ghazi and on ISI vehicles in September 2007



View attachment 784856

Bomb in Pakistan Kills at Least 15 From Elite Unit (Published 2007)

A blast Thursday evening, apparently set off by a suicide bomber, tore through the dining hall of a military installation.

www.nytimes.com

View attachment 784857

27 die as suicide bombers hit high security areas

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: Two suicide bombers struck two localities in the high-security zone in the garrison...

www.dawn.com

"

The first blast took place at about 7.20am in a bus and it was so powerful that it destroyed the whole vehicle, killing and injuring most of the passengers.

Mohammad Arif, one of the injured, told Dawn that there were at least 60 people in the vehicle when its driver stopped to pick up three employees.

“As bus driver stopped the vehicle and some people stepped inside, a huge explosion occurred,” Asif said. Later, he said, he was told in a hospital that the bus was torn to pieces and bodies were scattered all over the place.

18 die in Rawalpindi suicide attacks

RAWALPINDI, Nov 24: Two suicide bombers struck in the city during the morning rush, targeting military personnel and...

www.dawn.com

What book are the excerpts taken from?

 

[Bratva]

Coming back to this discussion - the Tarbela Mess bombing claimed the lives of 14 SSG troopers.

13 commandos were martyred on the fateful day of 5 April 2013, including Captain Wasim of 3 Commando Bn, at Inzar Gul, Tirah. They were part of the elite Ebrahim Coy of Qiadat fame - the company commander and another captain 'S' were WIA (saw couple of pictures of him with that golden stripe too). All 13 were awarded TBt posthumously. It was a joint Lashkar-e-Islam/TTP ambush I believe. Riles me up whenever I remember Mangal Bagh Afridi is still alive.

Waseem is my school class fellow.....excellent man. I was in the ops area as well once this incident occurred. It was not an ambush. The casualties were from Hamza Company. Waseem wasnt from this company but volunteered to go in the place of another Hamza Company officer (again, a close friend of mine) who was much junior to him.

I know Waseem since he was this much...
View attachment 648698
....till he was like this....
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This SSG action was separate from 8 PR action. Wasim's group, composed of two combat teams fought their way to a feature, suffering light casualties ( i think couple of wounded). This feature was sort of a plateau at height. However, once these two combat teams (20 odd men) reached the top, heavy fire opened up on them from adjoining heights.....12.7 mm DshKs ringed them and poured heavy fire, coupled with RPGs and snipers. SSG guys fought back but since they were exposed and dominated all around, were picked off one by one. Waseem got an initial bullet wound and one of his buddy pulled him and made him sit with his back against a rocky boulder. His last radio call was that in which he stated that his ammo had finished and he was pulling out his Glock.

It was a Friday. I wont forget that day. This op started in the morning and by approx 1000-1100 hours, nothing was heard about these two combat teams. Another SSG company (Shaheen i think) was inducted but could not clear the site. Ultimately a whole SSG battalion went in and managed to fight to Waseem's location. It took a great time to recover the bodies since they were spread everywhere, every SSG guy had fought back individually.
TTP / LLI bastards, after having eliminated the SSG teams, had then climbed on this feature and fired point bank into the bodies.

Sequel to Waseem's action was more horrible, but the other way around. What happened when more SSG troops arrived along with AH1s and artillery is entirely a different story.

Waseem's parents and my parents were looking for our potential brides during this time, we both were supposed to be married the same year in October. This action occurred on 5 April 2013.

Since both gentleman provided some of the gruesome details about Captain Waseem martydom and 8 Punjab Unit horrible ambush in which 51 soldiers got martyred . More detailed version has come to light and narrated by Ret LET.GEN KHALID RABBANI . Captain "S" as mentioned by Cuirassier was actually Captain Saad Rabbani who barely survived the ambush Son Of Retired Lt.Gen Khalid Rabbani who was Corps Commander XI Peshawar at the time of Tirah Valley 2013 Operation

What book are the excerpts taken from?

Source:

Spy Stories

From 9/11 to 26/11, Burhan Wani to Kulbhushan Jadhav – the India–Pakistan relationship told from the perspective of the R.A.W. and the I....

www.goodreads.com

 

[blain2]

The Tarbela attack was by a milkman (multiple decades working with the SSG from what I recall) --- could be wrong. @PanzerKiel might now.

I like the gora system of even General Officers being treated as strangers when entering sensitive bases/premises, let alone a milkman. Painstaking security and checks every. single. time.

That is what I understand too. The suicide bombing was done by a civilian and not a serving member of the SSG. These were the days when every Tom, Dick and Harry used to be allowed in the unit lines and assumed to be family members of those serving.

For the past decade now, we all can modify our weapons.... These sights are being issued as well as it is allowed to install own sights... Not a big deal nowadays....

That is definitely a change. I know for a fact, no personal modifications used to be allowed in the past (actually nobody did it back in the day as access to such things was extremely limited and that too through proper military channels only). But my information is dated now.

 

[blain2]

But a point of an army is not just to fight internal threats --- paramilitary forces should be sufficiently developed to do that. Army units should only be there for support in very critical cases.

An army's primary fighting duty should always remain a.) defensive ops in case of an invasion and other forms of aggression and b.) offensive ops in enemy territory.

Along the LoC/IB is not "internal threats". I was referring to the employment of the SSG during a conventional conflict. If you want to employ SSG behind enemy lines, there has to be a way to support them. Otherwise you are sending them on a one way, suicidal mission which is an utter and shameful waste of highly trained, motivated resources.

The idea of "nafooz" only works when you can send your troops on a mission and keep them supported and then get them exfiltrated. In our environment, the highest chances of success are when our units operate against the other side along the IB/LoC and use the terrain to infiltrate, carry out their mission and then exfiltrate via ground. These would be shallow incursions to keep the other side off balance.