This post brings back the memories of our stay in Halwara-Ludhiana. My father was posted there in the signal branch in the Hunter-Gnat squadron. He told us how farmers of sugar cane fields helped in capturing most of the paratroopers and sent most of them to house of virgins. He along with his colleagues were surprised to see then Air Chief Marshall volunteering to go on sortie over Sargodha which was a morale booster for our Airmen and officers alike.In their first mission SSG operatives ended up being Indian POW after being beaten up by Punjabi Villagers who captured them and handed them over to Military.
Paki SSG pow - Look how well built,tall and handsome they are.
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"It's difficult to see what they could have achieved. What this operation aimed to achieve is difficult to understand."
- IAF Air Chief Marshal P.C.Lal
The Pakistani Army’s special forces were raised as the Special Service Group (SSG) in 1956 using the cadre of 19 (Para) Baloch. This special force was trained in sobotage and disruptive activities behind enemy lines.
On the night of 6th September, around 200 officers and men of the SSG were air-dropped by C-130s near the Indian airbases of Adampur, Pathankot and Halwara on a bold mission to destroy Indian combat aircraft and put the bases out of action. They would then ex-filtrate back to Pakistan, following the numerous rivulets and streams that flow from Punjab back to their home territory.
Pathankot
It was wee hours of the morning when para-troopers landed at Pathankot. The pitch darkness and difficult terrain (it was criss-crossed by canals, streams and the fields were full of water) prevented them from regrouping. Most of them, including their Commander, Major Khalid Butt were arrested by the Police and the Army within the next 2 days.
Adampur
This group too faced the same fate as the Pathankot team - unable to assemble, they tried to hide in the cornfields during the day. However, the farmers formed mobs and captured them, and some were even killed by the Punjabis. Their Commander, Capt Durrani was also taken POW.
Halwara
Some of the men landed within the airfield perimeter itself and were soon rounded up. However the detachment commander, Major Hazur Hasnain, and one of his men managed to get away in a captured Jeep.
It is clear that troops possesed little knowledge of the terrain and were dropped in too large a number to be effective. The final analysis evealed that more than 180 commandos were dropped out of which 136 were taken prisoners, 22 were killed in encounters with the army, police or the civilians and 22-15 managed to escape to Pakistan. Considering the fact that Pathankot is barely 10 miles from the IB, this number is'nt too much of an achievement.
Further Reading
http://vayu-sena.tripod.com/1965-ssg1.html
After the war over they encountered many cobras in the bunkers and under the sand bags. One of the most interesting story he told which was witnessed by him and his colleagues was about kind of marriage of King cobra parading with a white Cobra sitting on hood of King Cobra and every time a line was drawn this white Cobra would dismount to wipe off the line before proceeding. I wish they had phone cameras in those days.
Now coming back to topic under discussion, I am of the opinion Pakistan Army and politician are still daydreaming about taking control of Kashmir in order to starve India of much needed water. They are just obsessed to take revenge of every defeat handed to them and in the next conflict we should make sure to destroy them completely without mercy.