Agrupación de Fuerzas Especiales Antiterroristas Urbanas
Encyclopedia
The Agrupación de Fuerzas Especiales Antiterroristas Urbanas ("Urban Counter-Terrorism Special Forces Group", AFEUR) is an elite unit of the Colombian Army
, whose primary mission is to perform counter-terrorist operations and hostage rescues based on stealth, surprise and team work.
VIP protection is another task of the unit. For example, they protect the Colombian President when he travels, and provided protection for President Bill Clinton
's (Army group) and President George W. Bush
visits to Cartagena
, in 2000, 2004 respectively. They also provided the second security ring to President Bush's visit to Bogotá
in 2007.
This unit answers directly to the Comando General de las Fuerzas Armadas (Armed Forces Joint Staff), and they are allowed to use any military air transportation to guarantee mobility, and to use any weapon or additional equipment as required to accomplish their missions.
groups, the Colombian Army needed a specially trained unit to deal with this threat. This unit was required to be able to both operate and co-ordinate operations with other units of the army, or from other military branches.
Although Colombia's 40-year long conflict with guerrilla groups had given many reasons for such a unit to exist, two terrorist acts in particular worked as catalysts in the formation the unit: the Dominican embassy siege in 1980 and the Palace of Justice siege
(Colombian Supreme Court) in 1985.
As the unit's experience grew, and its rate of success increased, in 2003 the Colombian Government decided to establish other units assigned to main cities across the nation. Such units are smaller in size, and trained by the main group, and all operate under the AFEUR name.
In the same year, the Colombian Navy also deployed its own AFEUR unit attached to the Marine Corps. Although trained by the Army unit, the Navy unit specialises in underwater infiltration training akin to its amphibious nature. This unit is intended to have the same capabilities as its Army counterpart, and so far their main task has been to support Special Forces or other conventional Marine Corps units when operating in semi-urban areas. However it is likely that the unit also took part in the operation to provide protection to President George W. Bush
during his visit to Cartagena in December 2004, and his visit to Bogotá
in March 2007 (200 units AFEUR will handled the second security ring, the first one was from the Secret Service
).
and the National Police are eligible to join AFEUR. Such personnel are required to have no criminal record, and have likely to have already received previous special training such as Colombian Army’s Lancero
course, or other training abroad.
Training takes place at the Colombian Army’s Communications School in Facatativá near Bogotá
(which also serves as unit headquarters), and includes airborne operations, night operations, and close quarters combat
. It is divided in two phases: the first focuses on team work, whilst the second focuses on special skills such as explosives training, paramedic training, sharpshooting and marksmanship, amongst others.
The main AFEUR group also shares training with Special Forces
units from other countries - mostly likely with the U.S.
, due to the military cooperation agreement established between the two governments, and also perhaps with the UK
(although this is less known due to the low profile the UK military like to keep in their operations).
, though details are kept in secret.
On the other hand AFEUR won the "" (Commando Forces 2005) contest, that took place in Chile
in June 2005 lasting two weeks.
This yearly contest sponsored by the US
South Command and the US Special Operations Command
with similar teams from Argentina
, Bolivia
, Chile
, Costa Rica
, Ecuador
, El Salvador
, U.S.
, Guatemala
, Honduras
, Jamaica
, Nicaragua
, Panama
, Paraguay
, Dominican Republic
, Peru
and Uruguay
.
The AFEUR team was made up of six operators, two from the Army, three from the Navy, one from the Air Force, two of them snipers. All operators were selected from the actual Army and Navy AFEUR groups performing real operations.
Though having a hard time on the physical fitness test, they performed outstandingly in sharpshooting, being the only team shooting targets beyond 1 km, assault force, stalking hunt, and marksmanship tests.
The following year 2006, and by second time in a row, the team won the same contest, this time "" in Paraguay. The team, three operators from the Army, two from the Air Force and two from the Navy, showed a similar performance compared to the previous year, with sniping and team work courses as their main strengths.
Again in 2007, they overcame 18 other delegations to win the contest for the third consecutive time. This time "" in Honduras. The seven representatives (two from the Army, three from the Air Force and two from the Navy) overwhelmed the judges with their resistance and their sharp shooting skills. Army lieutenant Diego León Grimaldos was one of the judges.http://www.emisoraejercito.mil.co/?idcategoria=1338
Colombian Army
The National Army of Colombia is the land military force of the government of Colombia and the largest service of the Colombian Armed Forces...
, whose primary mission is to perform counter-terrorist operations and hostage rescues based on stealth, surprise and team work.
VIP protection is another task of the unit. For example, they protect the Colombian President when he travels, and provided protection for President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's (Army group) and President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
visits to Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
, in 2000, 2004 respectively. They also provided the second security ring to President Bush's visit to Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
in 2007.
This unit answers directly to the Comando General de las Fuerzas Armadas (Armed Forces Joint Staff), and they are allowed to use any military air transportation to guarantee mobility, and to use any weapon or additional equipment as required to accomplish their missions.
History
Due to terrorist acts conducted in cities by guerrillaGuerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
groups, the Colombian Army needed a specially trained unit to deal with this threat. This unit was required to be able to both operate and co-ordinate operations with other units of the army, or from other military branches.
Although Colombia's 40-year long conflict with guerrilla groups had given many reasons for such a unit to exist, two terrorist acts in particular worked as catalysts in the formation the unit: the Dominican embassy siege in 1980 and the Palace of Justice siege
Palace of Justice siege
The Palace of Justice siege was a 1985 attack against the Supreme Court of Colombia, in which members of the M-19 guerrilla group took over the Palace of Justice in Bogotá, Colombia, and held the Supreme Court hostage, intending to hold a trial against President Belisario Betancur...
(Colombian Supreme Court) in 1985.
As the unit's experience grew, and its rate of success increased, in 2003 the Colombian Government decided to establish other units assigned to main cities across the nation. Such units are smaller in size, and trained by the main group, and all operate under the AFEUR name.
In the same year, the Colombian Navy also deployed its own AFEUR unit attached to the Marine Corps. Although trained by the Army unit, the Navy unit specialises in underwater infiltration training akin to its amphibious nature. This unit is intended to have the same capabilities as its Army counterpart, and so far their main task has been to support Special Forces or other conventional Marine Corps units when operating in semi-urban areas. However it is likely that the unit also took part in the operation to provide protection to President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
during his visit to Cartagena in December 2004, and his visit to Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
in March 2007 (200 units AFEUR will handled the second security ring, the first one was from the Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
).
Recruitment and training
Members of all branches of the Military of ColombiaMilitary of Colombia
The Military Forces of Colombia are the armed forces of the Republic of Colombia.-Services:The Military of Colombia consists of:* National Army of Colombia * Colombian National Armada - Marines, Navy and Coast Guard attached* Colombian Air Force...
and the National Police are eligible to join AFEUR. Such personnel are required to have no criminal record, and have likely to have already received previous special training such as Colombian Army’s Lancero
Lancero
Lancero is a military course and a denomination within the Colombian Army. The course takes place at the School of Lanceros of Colombia in Tolemaida, Department of Tolima in Colombia.-Overview:...
course, or other training abroad.
Training takes place at the Colombian Army’s Communications School in Facatativá near Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
(which also serves as unit headquarters), and includes airborne operations, night operations, and close quarters combat
Close quarters battle
Close quarters combat or close quarters battle is a type of fighting in which small units engage the enemy with personal weapons at very short range, potentially to the point of hand-to-hand combat or fighting with hand weapons such as swords or knives...
. It is divided in two phases: the first focuses on team work, whilst the second focuses on special skills such as explosives training, paramedic training, sharpshooting and marksmanship, amongst others.
The main AFEUR group also shares training with Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
units from other countries - mostly likely with the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, due to the military cooperation agreement established between the two governments, and also perhaps with the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(although this is less known due to the low profile the UK military like to keep in their operations).
Commando Forces tournaments
The full effectiveness of this unit is not known, however due to the constant training and exposure to live operations, AFEUR should be regarded as a top class operation. Reports from the media and official sources states that this unit has been involved in every top profile operation against guerrilla groups, in both preventive strikes and emergency response actions in urban and semi-urban areas all across ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, though details are kept in secret.
On the other hand AFEUR won the "" (Commando Forces 2005) contest, that took place in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in June 2005 lasting two weeks.
This yearly contest sponsored by the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
South Command and the US Special Operations Command
United States Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
with similar teams from Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
.
The AFEUR team was made up of six operators, two from the Army, three from the Navy, one from the Air Force, two of them snipers. All operators were selected from the actual Army and Navy AFEUR groups performing real operations.
Though having a hard time on the physical fitness test, they performed outstandingly in sharpshooting, being the only team shooting targets beyond 1 km, assault force, stalking hunt, and marksmanship tests.
The following year 2006, and by second time in a row, the team won the same contest, this time "" in Paraguay. The team, three operators from the Army, two from the Air Force and two from the Navy, showed a similar performance compared to the previous year, with sniping and team work courses as their main strengths.
Again in 2007, they overcame 18 other delegations to win the contest for the third consecutive time. This time "" in Honduras. The seven representatives (two from the Army, three from the Air Force and two from the Navy) overwhelmed the judges with their resistance and their sharp shooting skills. Army lieutenant Diego León Grimaldos was one of the judges.http://www.emisoraejercito.mil.co/?idcategoria=1338
External links
AFEUR website- Colombia: Seguridad & Defensa - Unofficial site in Spanish
- Video sobre la AFEUR