Latest news with #SpecialServicesGroup
Indian Express
26-06-2025
- Indian Express
Pakistan Army officer, who captured IAF pilot Abhinandan in 2019, killed
An officer of the Pakistan Army's Special Services Group, who had claimed to have captured Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman after his jet was shot down in a dogfight in 2019, was killed in a clash with the Taliban militants, according to the army. Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah, 37, was killed on Tuesday in a clash with the Taliban militants in the Sararogha area of South Waziristan near the Afghan border, according to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the army. Lance Naik Jibran Ullah, 27, was also killed in the same battle, it said. The army troops killed 11 terrorists belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and wounded seven others in the same operation, the statement said. Moiz's funeral prayer was offered at Chaklala Garrison, Rawalpindi, and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended it. 'Major Syed Moiz Abbas fought bravely in the face of resistance and ultimately laid down his life in the line of duty, upholding the highest traditions of bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism,' the ISPR statement quoted Munir as saying. His body was flown to his native home town of Chakwal in Punjab where he was laid to rest with full military honours. He was commissioned into the Pakistani Army in 2011. However, he later became part of the Special Services Group (SSG) and was currently serving in the volatile Waziristan region. After his death, it turned out that he was the same officer who had captured Abhinandan and saved him from mob violence, local media reported. An old clip of his interview with Geo TV on social media shows Moiz, who was captain then, giving details of capturing Abhinandan. The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007. Its main aim is to impose its strict brand of Islam across Pakistan. The group, believed to be close to al-Qaeda, has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases, and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. Pakistan describes TTP as 'Fitna al-Khawarij', a reference to a group in earlier Islamic history which was involved in violence.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Time of India
Pakistan Army officer, who captured IAF pilot Abhinandan in 2019, killed
An officer of the Pakistan Army 's Special Services Group , who had claimed to have captured Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman after his jet was shot down in a dogfight in 2019, was killed in a clash with the Taliban militants, according to the army. Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah , 37, was killed on Tuesday in a clash with the Taliban militants in the Sararogha area of South Waziristan near the Afghan border, according to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the army. Lance Naik Jibran Ullah, 27, was also killed in the same battle, it said. The army troops killed 11 terrorists belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and wounded seven others in the same operation, the statement said. Moiz's funeral prayer was offered at Chaklala Garrison, Rawalpindi, and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended it. Live Events "Major Syed Moiz Abbas fought bravely in the face of resistance and ultimately laid down his life in the line of duty, upholding the highest traditions of bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism," the ISPR statement quoted Munir as saying. His body was flown to his native home town of Chakwal in Punjab where he was laid to rest with full military honours. He was commissioned into the Pakistani Army in 2011. However, he later became part of the Special Services Group (SSG) and was currently serving in the volatile Waziristan region. After his death, it turned out that he was the same officer who had captured Abhinandan and saved him from mob violence, local media reported. An old clip of his interview with Geo TV on social media shows Moiz, who was captain then, giving details of capturing Abhinandan. The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007. Its main aim is to impose its strict brand of Islam across Pakistan. The group, believed to be close to al-Qaeda, has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases, and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. Pakistan describes TTP as "Fitna al-Khawarij", a reference to a group in earlier Islamic history which was involved in violence.
India.com
30-04-2025
- India.com
Where did he get training, where is he now... how dangerous is Pahalgam attack mastermind Hashim Musa?
Where did he get training, where is he now... how dangerous is Pahalgam attack mastermind Hashim Musa? Hashim Musa has been identified as the mastermind behind the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. According to sources, Hashim Musa, who was identified as the mastermind behind the killing of 26 people in Pahalgam, had received high level para-commando training in Pakistan, which effectively helped him in terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Musa is believed to be in his 20s and is reportedly a former soldier who had infiltrated into Indian territory through the Kathua and Samba sectors. Where and how did Hashim Musa get training? After infiltration, he became active in the Dera Ki Gali area of Rajouri-Poonch, where his Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module is suspected to have plotted several attacks on security forces last year. Pakistani para-commandos, specially trained by the Special Services Group (SSG), are known for their expertise in unconventional warfare, survival tactics and mountain warfare. The training includes high-level operations, close-quarters combat (CQB), navigation in dangerous terrain and advanced rescue techniques, all of which are seen in Musa's operations. According to sources in the security grid, the group's behaviour on the ground points to a high level of combat rigour and training. The militants have successfully evaded police and army patrols and have been constantly moving through rugged mountainous jungles, avoiding contact with civilians. Another sign of professional military training is the use of advanced weapons, including the M4 carbine, during the Pahalgam attack. These weapons require special skills to handle and maintain, which are usually acquired through formal military training. Sources confirmed that the modus operandi of the group clearly shows that Hashim Musa possibly received high level training from Pakistan's Special Forces, making his network more dangerous and difficult to neutralise.
India Today
29-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Pahalgam mastermind likely received elite commando training in Pak: Sources
Hashim Musa, identified as the mastermind behind the killing of 26 people in Pahalgam, is believed to have received elite para-commando training in Pakistan, which effectively aided his terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, according to sources in the security believed to be in his late 20s, is reportedly a former soldier who infiltrated Indian territory through the Kathua and Samba sectors. After infiltration, he became active in the Dera Ki Gali area of Rajouri-Poonch, where his Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module is suspected of orchestrating numerous attacks on security forces over the past para-commandos, particularly those trained by the Special Services Group (SSG), are renowned for their expertise in unconventional warfare, survival tactics, and mountain combat. Their training includes high-endurance operations, close-quarters battle (CQB), navigation through difficult terrain, and advanced evasion techniques, all of which appear to be reflected in Musa's operations. Hashim Musa (extreme right), along with other terrorists, unleashed horror in Pahalgam. According to sources within the security grid, the group's behaviour on the ground indicates a high degree of battle-hardiness and training. The terrorists have successfully evaded police and army patrols, continuously moving through rugged mountain forests while avoiding contact with they have refrained from approaching villages for food, unlike past infiltrators, who were often neutralised quickly due to fatigue and their reliance on local indicator of professional military training is the use of advanced weaponry, including M4 carbines, during the Pahalgam attack. These weapons require specialised handling and maintenance skills, typically acquired through formal military instruction. NIA announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of Hashim Musa. Sources confirm that the group's modus operandi strongly suggests that Hashim Musa received elite training, likely under Pakistan's Special Forces framework, making his network more dangerous and difficult to neutralise. IN THIS STORY#Jammu and Kashmir#Pakistan
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First Post
29-04-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Global terror engineering: How Pakistan tuned its war machine to create a network of terrorism
Behind Pakistan's denials is a stark reality, a military and intelligence network that has turned soldiers into jihadist trainers fuelling decades of terror across South Asia read more (File) Pakistani commandos from the Special Services Group march during a military parade to mark Pakistan National Day, in Islamabad, Pakistan on, March 23, 2019. AP Investigations into the recent Pahalgam massacre in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed 26 innocent lives have confirmed that Hashim Musa, the identified perpetrator, is a former para commando of the Pakistan Army's elite Special Services Group (SSG). Now a hardened terrorist affiliated with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Musa was reportedly dispatched to Jammu and Kashmir by LeT masterminds to execute terror attacks targeting both non-locals and security personnel, according to The Times of India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan continues to project a contradictory identity on the global stage—presenting itself as an ally in the so-called 'war on terror,' while simultaneously fostering and sheltering terrorist groups. Central to this duality are the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and certain elements within the SSG, both of which have faced credible accusations of aiding and abetting terrorism. Pakistan's 'terror factory': An overview The term 'terror factory' has become an apt descriptor for Pakistan's long history of supporting, enabling and exporting terrorism. The US State Department's Country Reports on Terrorism 2019 identified Pakistan as a country that " continued to serve as a safe haven for certain regionally focused terrorist groups. It allowed groups targeting Afghanistan, including the Afghan Taliban and affiliated HQN (Haqqani Network), as well as groups targeting India, including LeT(Lashkar-e-Taiba) and its affiliated front organizations, and JeM(Jaish-e-Mohammed), to operate from its territory." SSG: Pakistan's elite warriors The SSG is Pakistan's most elite military unit, specialising in direct action, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism and unconventional warfare. Comparable to the US Navy SEALs or the British SAS, the SSG's prowess in covert and hybrid warfare has long been redirected toward training non-state actors operating in jihadist networks. The use of regular military forces, such as the SSG, for irregular warfare through proxies provides Pakistan's deep state with 'plausible deniability.' While officially disavowing any links to militant activities, Pakistan covertly controls and guides such groups in the service of its geopolitical objectives. SSG-ISI nexus: Military units or terror enablers? True to this troubling pattern, several individuals with connections to the SSG have been key facilitators of Pakistan's terror strategy. One among them was Colonel Sultan Amir Tarar, known as 'Colonel Imam,' who was a former SSG officer and senior ISI operative. According to Steve Coll's Pulitzer Prize-winning book Ghost Wars, Colonel Imam was instrumental in training the Afghan Taliban during the Soviet-Afghan War and later remained an influential figure in nurturing the Taliban leadership. In Cathey Schofield's book Inside Pakistan Army, Colonel Imam admitted meeting Osama Bin Laden in 1986. Lt Gen Hamid Gul, although not known to be linked with the SSG, headed the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from 1987 to 1989. He was a notorious figure who publicly expressed admiration for Osama bin Laden and often criticised US actions in Afghanistan. His tenure marked an era of open support for anti-Indian and jihadist organisations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gul played a key role in raising the first militant groups to fight Pakistan's proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir, a move that drastically and diabolically altered the Indian subcontinent. He was instrumental in starting the militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in 1989 by diverting mujahideen who had participated in the Soviet-Afghan war to the Kashmir Valley. He was also accused of providing funds and weapons to these militants. He is considered the brain behind Pakistan's proxy war with India, first in Punjab and later in Kashmir. Gul is often referred to as the 'godfather' of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which India holds responsible for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and numerous other terror strikes in the country. His reach among terror organisations was so extensive that, according to his online autobiography, 'the unruly mujahedeen commanders obeyed and respected him like no one else'. Gul openly shared stages with jihadists like Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, frequently spewing venom against India and the United States. He was also a key leader of the Defa-e-Pakistan Council, a coalition of 40 terrorist and extremist groups, including Jamaat-ud-Dawah, which are considered close to Pakistan's security establishment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At one point, the United States proposed Gul's name, along with three other former ISI officers, for inclusion in the list of international terrorists submitted to the United Nations Secretary-General. However, China vetoed the move, shielding him from international sanctions. Brigadier Ijaz Shah, a former ISI officer, has long faced allegations of facilitating the protection of terrorists. As reported by The Guardian, Shah was accused of helping provide safe havens for extremists and played a significant political role under successive Pakistani administrations. Brigadier Shah, who served as an ISI officer from 1999 to 2002, was reportedly directly responsible for overseeing jihadist groups operating in Pakistan's Punjab, according to a News18 article. Later, he was appointed as Pakistan's Interior Minister by then prime minister Imran Khan, a role in which he continued to attract controversy. Notably, Shah played a role in the acquittal of Omer Sheikh, the terrorist whose death sentence was commuted in the Daniel Pearl beheading case. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In September 2019, Brigadier Shah made a startling admission during a national television interview on Pakistani private news channel Hum News. Speaking to journalist Nadeem Malik during a talk show, Shah confessed that Pakistan had spent millions of rupees on the terror outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) in an effort to mainstream the group. During his tenure as interior minister, Shah also admitted that Pakistan failed to garner international support for its narrative on Kashmir. Furthermore, during his earlier tenure as Director-General of the Intelligence Bureau of Pakistan (2004–2008), Brigadier Shah was alleged to have played a role in providing protection to Osama bin Laden, who was kept in an ISI safe house in Abbottabad. The complicity of Pakistan's security establishment in supporting extremist activities has been highlighted by several accounts. Security expert B Raman, who served as additional secretary in India's Cabinet Secretariat, wrote in an article for The Economic Times in January 2013, saying that when General Pervez Musharraf was Pakistan's chief of army staff under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999, Huji (Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami), which operated from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), became known for using beheading as a tactic. Huji in PoK was then headed by Ilyas Kashmiri, a former officer of Pakistan Army's SSG, the same elite commando unit where Musharraf himself had served as a commanding officer. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to reports in the PoK media at the time, Ilyas Kashmiri and some of his Huji militants targeted an Indian Army post in Jammu and Kashmir, beheaded an Indian soldier and presented the severed head to Musharraf. Musharraf praised and rewarded Kashmiri and his men, indicating an approval of such brutal tactics by the Pakistan Army leadership. Later, Musharraf publicly admitted to supporting militants. In an interview, Musharraf acknowledged that Kashmiris were 'trained in Pakistan' as mujahideen to fight against the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir. He went further, describing jihadi terrorists as Pakistan's 'heroes' and even naming global terrorists Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Jalaluddin Haqqani among those considered 'heroes' by Pakistan. SSG's operational role in terrorism The operational role of the SSG in terror-linked activities is corroborated by major geopolitical events and intelligence findings. During the Kargil War of 1999, Pakistani forces disguised regular soldiers, including SSG operatives, as 'mujahideen' infiltrators in Jammu and Kashmir. General VP Malik's detailed work Kargil: From Surprise to Victory confirmed that SSG commandos were deeply embedded among infiltrators. The Indian government's Kargil Review Committee Report also highlighted the involvement of SSG-trained operatives. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008 exposed deeper military-style training provided to LeT operatives. FBI investigations, based on David Headley's testimony, revealed that Pakistani handlers — many allegedly ex-SSG or ISI — provided specialised commando training for marine operations, surveillance and hostage situations. In his testimony before the Statement Before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Donald Van Duyn, Chief Intelligence Officer, Federal Bureau of Investigation mentioned that 'the surviving Mumbai attacker (Ajmal Kasab, now dead) has claimed that the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba provided him training and direction for the attack'. He also added that 'in the last few years, US courts convicted several followers of the 'Virginia Jihad' Network of providing material support to terrorism relating to their training at an LT-sponsored training camp in Pakistan'. 'Another lesson learned from the Mumbai attacks is that terrorist groups that appear to be primarily a threat to their surrounding localities can sometimes have broader aspirations. Although LT has historically focused its attacks against Indian forces in the Kashmir region, the Mumbai attacks reinforce the reality that LT has the capability to operate outside its home base,' Duyn said. 'The group did so in 2001 with an attack on the Indian Parliament building in New Delhi and is suspected of having been involved in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings. These actions highlight the need to examine other groups that appear to be active only locally and determine whether they have the operational capability and strategic intention to undertake a more regional or global agenda,' Duyn testified. According to a Reuters report, the 2008 Mumbai attackers belonged to the LeT and were trained in Pakistan. The advanced level of training displayed bore the unmistakable imprint of SSG-style tactics. The Pathankot Airbase attack in 2016 demonstrated similar patterns. According to the National Investigation Agency, evidence suggested that JeM attackers underwent advanced tactical training consistent with Pakistani SSG protocols. In February 2016, a piece in The Indian Express also referred to the 1965 India-Pakistan war, where Pakistan went ahead with a bold and unconventional plan to neutralise the Indian airbases of Adampur, Pathankot and Halwara by inducting around 180 SSG commandos although the planned badly. In the 2016 attack, the JeM attackers of the base showed training that can only match the gruelling training of the SSG before they were neutralised after much effort by the Indian security forces. Academic and policy analyses Major think tanks have systematically documented Pakistan's terror strategy. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published a report detailing how Pakistan cultivates proxies as a 'hedge' against India. In its Annual Report 2015, the thinktank said that 'India plays an increasingly important role on the world stage. New Delhi's strained relationship with nuclear-armed Pakistan, and a history of Indo-Pakistani conflicts, suggest that India's potential response to terrorist attacks originating in Pakistan could set off a crisis that could lead to nuclear war.' In his piece, Strengthening Counter Terrorism Cooperation Against Growing Turmoil, published on January 20, 2015, for Brookings, Bruce Riedel stated that Pakistan continued to sponsor the most dangerous terror group in South Asia, LeT, which had attempted to disrupt Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inauguration in May 2014 by attacking the Indian consulate in Herat, Afghanistan, just hours before the swearing-in ceremony. He noted that the Pakistani intelligence service, the ISI, was still providing support to LeT and that its leader, Hafez Saeed, was living freely in Lahore, Pakistan, under the protection of the ISI. In a report titled Pakistan Army and Terrorism: An Unholy Alliance, the European Foundation for South Asian Studies highlights a deeply entrenched relationship among Pakistan's military establishment, its intelligence agency—the ISI—and radical religious leaders. This longstanding collaboration has significantly fuelled the spread of extremist ideologies, contributing to the nation's persistent inclination toward Islamist radicalism. The report characterises the militant outfits that emerged from these religious factions as uncontrollable entities—likened to Frankenstein's Monsters. It also notes that any hope for lasting peace within Pakistan or a reduction in the state-sponsored militancy affecting neighbouring regions remains bleak. T his pessimism stems from the prevailing belief within segments of the Pakistani Army and ISI that militant groups still serve a strategic purpose, particularly with regard to the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir. A deadly tie-up The allegations against Pakistan's military arms like the SSG and the ISI for fostering terrorism are deeply rooted in a large and credible body of evidence. These claims are not merely political rhetoric but are documented through government reports, independent investigations, captured terrorist confessions, academic studies and direct public admissions by Pakistani leaders. Pakistan's hybrid warfare model — combining regular forces like the SSG with terrorist proxies — reflects a strategic doctrine that seeks to maintain plausible deniability while achieving tactical advantages in Jammu and Kashmir. However, this approach has simultaneously fuelled internal radicalisation, diplomatic isolation and increasing international pressure. The narrative of Pakistan as both a victim and sponsor of terrorism is one of the defining contradictions of modern geopolitics. The world continues to grapple with the challenges posed by Pakistan's deep state apparatus.
