Active 1987–present Type Special Operations Garrison/HQ Algiers, Algeria | Country Algeria Size ~400 operators | |
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Role Counter-terrorism and Hostage Rescue | ||
The Special Intervention Group (French: Groupe d'Intervention Spécial, GIS. Arabic: مجموعة التدخل السريع) is a special forces group created in Algeria in 1987, initially with 300 members.
Contents
History
Since 1992, GIS forces have operated within the context of violent confrontation between the Algerian government and Islamic militants; major human rights violations against civilians have been alleged against both sides. A resulting arms embargo against Algeria initially prevented the GIS from obtaining equipment such as night-vision goggles typical for such units. However, after the September 11, 2001 attacks, western matériel vendors were allowed to sell equipment to Algeria in the name of the international War on Terrorism.
Responsibility and training
A sub-unit of the Départment du Renseignement et de la Sécurité (DRS), it is responsible for counter-terrorism. It is based in Algiers and has a base at Blida, 50 km (31 miles) from Algiers. The Grouping of special intervention (GIS) made trainings very elaborate with several training courses in various domains (assault, sniping, aircraft, squadbomb) to the Officers' training school of the special troops ( EATS) in Algeria, without forgetting the training in the highly rated of the groups Alpha of Russia. The men of the GIS are introduced to the Ju-Jitsu art of Japanese fight and to the Kuk Sool Won art of Korean fight, but in a purely military aspect. With that outfit of trainings and are experiment on the ground the GIS became one of the units the most experimented by the world and recognized by the various tactical groups in the field of counter-terrorisms by the point where the G.I.S was recommended by the USSOCOM to form several African and European groups.