The Special Intervention Detachment (french: Détachement Spécial d'Intervention, DSI, ar, المفرزة الخاصة للتدخل) is a
police tactical unit
A police tactical unit (PTU) is a specialized police unit trained to handle situations that are beyond the capabilities of ordinary law enforcement units because of the level of violence (or risk of violence) involved. A police tactical unit's tas ...
of the
Algerian
Gendarmerie Nationale Gendarmerie Nationale most commonly refers to:
* Gendarmerie Nationale (France)
* Gendarmerie Nationale (Belgium), merged with Belgian police in 2001
Gendarmerie Nationale may also refer to:
*Gendarmerie Nationale (Algeria)
* Gendarmerie National ...
.
It specializes in the fight against terrorism, the release of hostages and the close protection of high-ranking personalities.
In 2013, it participated in the release of several people during the
In Amenas hostage crisis.
History
The DSI was created on August 27, 1989, by a presidential decree. It is elite unit of the Algerian gendarmerie. and the Algerian equivalent of the French
GIGN.
It was established to confront the increase in crimes and criminals, especially in its mode of action, as it offers adapted intervention possibilities and additional tactical capacities.
Training
Recruitment
The DSI recruits its future operators directly within the superior schools of the national gendarmerie for officers (the latter are selected before their graduation) and at the level of the schools of non-commissioned officers of the national gendarmerie of
Sétif
Sétif ( ar, سطيف, ber, Sṭif) is the capital of the Sétif Province in Algeria. It is one of the most important cities of eastern Algeria and the country as a whole, since it is considered the trade capital of the country. It is an inner ci ...
and
Sidi Bel Abbès for non-commissioned officers.
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Induction training
The students wishing to join the unit are first evaluated, if they pass this evaluation phase, they will be admitted to the integration program which has 4 phases :
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* The physical preparation program: (Military training, instruction in combat sports such as
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
,
boxing,
unarmed combat, armed combat, martial arts in general...). They are supervised by professional instructors from the combat sports unit.
* The blocked training course of preparation: (Physical, psychological, and combat training) this phase is one of the most difficult because the trainee is put to hard test (day and night exercise, unfavorable climatic conditions...) and it ends with the famous psychological obstacle course.
* The qualification parachute jump: They go through the
School of commando training and initiation to parachuting (EFCIP) of
Boghar
Boghar is a town and commune in Médéa Province, Algeria.
History
During the Roman Empire the town was the site of a Roman town called Voncaria. At the 411 Carthage conference, between Catholic and Donatist bishops, the town was represented b ...
in order to pass their parachutist license, but also to be initiated to commando techniques and parachuting.
* The special intervention professional patent (BPSI): This is the final training to be operational within the unit, the trainees will receive courses in
diving,
combat first aid, training for
dog handlers, but also shooting, use of explosives,
close protection, and techniques of
climbing buildings and reliefs, intervention in closed environment (
Close Quarter Battle
Close combat means a violent physical confrontation between two or more opponents at short range.''MCRP 3-02B: Close Combat'', Washington, D.C.: Department Of The Navy, Headquarters United States Marine Corps, 12 February 1999Matthews, Phil, CQB ...
), open, etc...), are on the menu of these daily sessions. The training is carried out in 2 stages, the first is the phase of pedagogical instruction, and the second is the phase of restitution and evaluation of the trainees, they must pass the final test if they want to integrate the unit.
If they pass this test, they will be given the DSI pin and patch and will be admitted to the operational unit and become full-fledged operators of the unit.
The duration of training in DSI is 6 months, and trainees receive the equivalent of 1400 hours of advanced training.
Continuous training
Nevertheless, the operators are in almost permanent training and each member follows a daily training. Shooting training is daily, with each element able to go to the shooting range whenever they wish.
Shooting tests including timed, selective shooting, accuracy, long range, are evaluated by the training cell instructors. The training operations of different scenarios, always with live ammunition, are reviewed and debriefed to correct each action and try to improve its technicality. They also often train at night under
night vision binoculars on all types of situations in the 13 sites reserved for them. exercises from a helicopter with recall techniques but also on fast driving and basic techniques in the field of negotiations and hostage taking.
DSI has trained a number of elite promotions from African countries in intervention and close protection.
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They exchanged with several foreign counterparts, among them the Austrian unit
EKO COBRA, the
Jordanian Special Operation Forces and the
Jordanian Gendarmerie and the French
GIGN. The DSI has provided many promotions from African countries; training in intervention and close protection.
The DSI has provided training in intervention and close protection to a number of elite promotions from African countries.
Missions
The main tasks of the DSI are :
* The
counterterrorism
Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that Government, governments, law enforcement, business, and Intelligence agency, intellig ...
and the
hostage rescue
* The neutralization of criminals or terrorists in various places (urban, forest, desert, mountain...)
* The participation of judiciary police operations
* The escort and transfer of dangerous individuals
* Close protection and escort of VIP's
Organization
The DSI is subdivided into several units, each with its own function, depending on the mission, they can work together in one operation or separately on their own.
The DSI is composed of :
* Intervention units: composed of assault groups, support groups,
marksmans
* Operational support units:
reconnaissance, observation, listening, jamming
* Combat swimmer units: amphibious assault, sabotage, reconnaissance, rescue, search
*
Close protection and escort units: protection, security, VIP escort
* Artificer and
deminer units : demining, break-in, technical assistance
*
Cynophilia units: composed of cynotechnical groups, dog recruitment and training groups, drug or explosive search groups.
* Training unit: composed of a training and instruction cell, a sports office and a combat sports cell
Main tasks
The DSI has carried out hundreds of operations since its creation, from the release of hostages to the arrest of forcible persons ("neutralization" in the unit's jargon). Some of the most well-known operations include the following:
*
Massive hostage crisis in In Amenas (
Tiguentourine): On January 16, 2013, a column of four all-terrain vehicles, transporting about 30 heavily armed terrorists, crossed the Algerian-Libyan border, seized the gas complex of
Tiguentourine, located 40 km from
In Amenas, and took the 800 workers, including 130 foreigners, hostage. The special forces carried out the assault, which resulted in the elimination of 27 members of the terrorist commando, the arrest of three others and the death of 37 hostages.
Equipment
The DSI, like all special forces in the world, has specific equipment for each intervention (helmets, tactical vests, bulletproof vests). The DSI operators are equipped with the latest generation of modern equipment.
Handguns
*
Glock 17 in 9 × 19 mm Parabellum, is the visibly most widely used handgun, used by Group divers because of its high water resistance. It is frequently equipped with an Insight Technology M3 LED or M6 tactical light with integrated laser. Modified version in the absence of a safety latch.
*
Beretta 92 FS
*
Caracal
Assault rifles
*
AKM
*
AKMS
*
AR-M4SF
*
Steyr AUG
The Steyr AUG () is an Austrian bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, designed in the 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and now manufactured by Steyr Arms GmbH & Co KG.
It was adopted by the Austrian Arm ...
*
HK-G36
Machine pistol
*
Beretta PM 12S
*
HK MP7
The Heckler & Koch MP7 (German: ''Maschinenpistole 7'') is a personal defense weapon chambered for the HK 4.6×30mm armor-piercing cartridge designed by German defence manufacturer Heckler & Koch.
It was designed (together with the new car ...
*
HK MP5
Machine guns
*
PKM
*
RPK
Precision rifles
*
SVD Dragunov
The SVD (russian: Сна́йперская Винто́вка систе́мы Драгуно́ва образца́ 1963 года, lit=Sniper Rifle, System of Dragunov, Model of the Year 1963, translit=Snáyperskaya Vintóvka sistém'y Dragunóv ...
*
Remington MSR
The Modular Sniper Rifle, or MSR, is a bolt-action sniper rifle developed and produced by Remington Arms for the United States Army. It was introduced in 2009, and was designed to meet specific United States Army and USSOCOM Precision Sniper Ri ...
*
Zastava M93 Black Arrow
*
Sako TRG 22
Shotgun
*
Franchi SPAS 12
*
Beretta RS202M2
Other weapons
*
RPG-7
*
X26 Taser
*
Crossbow
Individual equipment
*
Spectra helmet, helmet with bulletproof visor
* Green Tactical combination,
Ghillie suit (Support Sections and
Snipers)
*
Bullet-proof vest
A bulletproof vest, also known as a ballistic vest or a bullet-resistant vest, is an item of body armor that helps absorb the impact and reduce or stop penetration to the torso from firearm-fired projectiles and fragmentation from explosions. ...
* Ciras Vest
* Plate carrier vest
*
Tactical vest
* Communication headset
* Kevlar gloves
*
Night vision googles
* Balaclava
* Knee and elbow pads
*
Holster
* Protective goggles
Vehicles
Terrestrial
*
Ford F-150 All Terrain Vehicle with Mobile Adjustable Ramp System (MARS)
* Gendarmerie
Nissan Patrol All Terrain Vehicle
* Gendarmerie
Toyota Land Cruiser All Terrain Vehicle
*
Toyota Land cruiser civil armoured
*
Nissan Patrol civil armoured
* Unmarked vehicles
Aerial
*
AS355N écureuil Helicopter of the National Gendarmerie
*
Agusta-Westland AW-109 LUH Helicopter of the National Gendarmerie
*
Mil Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 ( NATO reporting name: Hip) is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production at two factories, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russian servic ...
Helicopter of the
Algerian Air Force
* Aircraft of the
Algerian Air Force
Pictures
File:Dsi assaut.png, DSI intervention group during a training.
File:Plongeurs dsi.png, DSI divers group.
References
{{Algerian security forces
Gendarmerie
Law enforcement in Algeria
Special forces of Algeria
Military units and formations established in 1989
1989 establishments in Algeria