HISTORY OF THE UNIT

 It is the aim of this section of the web site to present an outline briefing the of the unit history.

The Police unit now known widely as the “Lions” was in fact formed during the summer of 2001 in response to the sudden security crisis posed by the terrorist/insurgent activities of the armed Albanian groups known as “NLA” or “ANA”. 
            Prior to 2001, there was 1 Police special tactical “SWAT” style unit in Macedonia known as the “Tigers” (see * below).

        In the early stages of the crisis during 2001, the numerous well armed NLA/ANA groups in many cases out-gunned the Macedonian Police in firepower. The NLA were able to occupy or dominate almost 100 villages in the North and West of Macedonia by August 2001 and threaten the civil population in a number of other villages.

        The Macedonian Police were not prepared for the crisis created by the terrorists and suffered several initial serious setbacks. Over 70 members of the Security Forces were killed in terrorist attacks during the spring and summer of 2001 – a large number of them died in ambushes mounted by the NLA/ANA on key roads. The terrorists had access to modern assault rifles and machine guns, anti tank mines, explosives, rocket propelled grenades and even mortars.

         In direct response to this threat and specifically as the NLA/ANA moved their attacks closer to the capital city during July 2001, the Ministry of the Interior were obliged to group existing Police personnel and recruit additional Police personnel from non active tasks into a specific anti terrorist rapid reaction unit – the nucleus of what became the “Lions”.

         As is normal in any police force, prior to 2001, the police officers had been trained to function alone or in groups of 2 or 3. The reality of the new situation facing the Police force demanded now that officers were able to function as groups of 12 or more against the NLA/ANA units who operated in a heavily armed paramilitary, army manner in similar sized groups. 

 The first units of the Rapid Intervention force (RIF) were deployed during August/September of 2001 in the North and West of the country in defensive positions around villages that were threatened with attack by the NLA/ANA groups. 

 This new unit – the RIF -  was the “core” of the unit that became later known as the “Lions” from the unit emblem of a gold coloured Macedonian Lion worn as a cloth patch on the shoulder. 

 The relative determination and cohesion of the new RIF unit was regarded by the NLA/ANA as a threat to the progress of their armed campaign of insurrection. The RIF was a more difficult opponent when compared to the newly trained conscripts of the Macedonian Army or the lightly armed “traditional” local police units. As would be expected, there was considerable effort made by the NLA/ANA to use propaganda to convince the International community that the ATRF was a  danger to “peace” in Macedonia and that the unit be disbanded.  From August 2001 onwards there was a well orchestrated campaign of negative or “black” propaganda against the RIF that frequently overlooked or ignored fact.  

 During the formative period of the RIF during the actual crisis, the final goal status of the unit was not made clear. This was understandable given the security situation of armed conflict and crisis the country faced from the terrorists/insurgent attacks.  

 Once the NATO Operation HARVEST was concluded in September of 2001 and the immediate security situation was more stable, the Ministry of the Interior was able to develop a clearer anti terrorist strategy and structure for planning for any future similar crisis situations.  

 The continued latent instability caused by the “occupation” of a large swathe of North and West Macedonia by the NLA/ANA during 2001 coupled with the hostile statements of groups based in the neighbouring province of Kosovo gave a clear need for the development of a credible and professional anti terrorist intervention force in Macedonia.  

 During the period October 2001-June 2002, the RIF unit has been defined and formed by the Ministry of the Interior as the key anti terrorist intervention and reaction force for Macedonia.  

 The initial personnel engaged with the unit in the summer of 2001 have been subjected to selection and re-selection in order to reduce the overall number of unit members and increase the quality and training of the individual officers.  

 The unit has now been organised into 4 “battalions” – the First and Second are equipped as mobile and flexible units of Police officers trained and equipped for a variety of operations. The Third battalion is the armoured mobility unit equipped with both tracked and wheeled armoured personnel carriers. The Fourth battalion provides administrative and logistics support to the whole ATRF unit. 

 The First and Second battalions are now able to conduct internal security operations throughout the whole territory of Macedonia at short notice with support from the third battalion. In response to the current threat level posed by the continued existence of NLA/ANA armed groups, the 2 ATRF battalions are organised into 2/3 companies, which are subdivided into platoon and section groups in the style of a “light infantry” unit. 

 The ATRF officers are armed with modern weapons – the standard personnel weapon is the 7.62 assault rifle and support weapons include belt fed light and heavy machine guns,  sniper rifles, rocket propelled grenades, grenade launchers and light/medium mortars up to 82mm calibre. The officers have now been equipped with new uniforms, boots and personnel equipment. The RIF is based in several barracks near to the capital city and has a headquarters and command unit inside the central Ministry of the Interior complex. The ATRF is now commanded by a Police General, who in turn is directed by the General commanding all uniformed Police in Macedonia based in the Ministry of the Interior. 

 Following the directives given by the Government to the Ministry of the Interior, the RIF has trained for a wide range of potential tasks. The RIF now is trained to be able to mount surveillance and observation operations of up to several weeks, to patrol on foot and in vehicles, to guard border regions or key installations, to assault terrorist training camps and fortified strongholds in built up areas on foot or by heliborne assault, to detain terrorist suspects, to search for weapons and explosives. The RIF is being trained in winter and summer operations in a variety of terrain and situations – from high mountains to cities, from low intensity anti terrorist operations to public order threats. 

 As a police unit, the RIF does not possess any artillery, helicopter weapons systems nor tanks. The Macedonian Army and Air force would be called upon in the future to provide such fire support should the terrorist threat require. 

 The relative initial “successes” of the terrorist/insurgent groups in Macedonia during 2001 was in part due to the lack of any such anti terrorist internal security force existing in Macedonia prior to 2001 with the mobility, cohesion and firepower required in the anti-terrorist “field” situation.  

 The existence of the RIF will give a better deterrence in the future to any national or international terrorists/insurgents threatening the security of the Macedonian territory and people.   

*The Macedonian Police Special Unit “Tigers” was/is a “SWAT” style intervention unit that had a prime responsibility for “hard arrest”, hostage rescue style anti terrorist operations, primarily in the urban environment. The unit and its mission was expanded during the crisis of 2001 but retains its principal task as above. There is close cooperation and joint training between the ATRF and the “Tigers”.