GSG 9
German Federal Police unit
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Key Takeaways
- GSG 9 der Bundespolizei (formerly Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (GSG 9, "Border Guard Group 9") of the Bundesgrenzschutz ) is the elite police tactical unit of the German Federal Police responsible for counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, and other high-risk operations.
- GSG 9 gained international prominence after successfully ending the 1977 Lufthansa Flight 181 hijacking in Mogadishu.
- German state police maintain their own tactical units known as Spezialeinsatzkommando (SEK).
- The unit operates both within Germany at the federal level and abroad to protect German interests, including embassy facilities and personnel.
GSG 9 der Bundespolizei (formerly Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (GSG 9, "Border Guard Group 9") of the Bundesgrenzschutz) is the elite police tactical unit of the German Federal Police responsible for counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, and other high-risk operations. It was established in September 1972, only weeks after the failed police rescue attempt during the Munich Olympics hostage crisis, becoming one of the first modern dedicated counter‑terrorism units and a model for similar forces worldwide. GSG 9 gained international prominence after successfully ending the 1977 Lufthansa Flight 181 hijacking in Mogadishu. The unit is headquartered in Sankt Augustin, near Bonn, with an additional base in Berlin, and has been subordinate to Federal Police Directorate 11 since 2017. German state police maintain their own tactical units known as Spezialeinsatzkommando (SEK).
GSG 9 consists of approximately 400 highly trained police officers, whose identities are classified. The unit operates both within Germany at the federal level and abroad to protect German interests, including embassy facilities and personnel. Alongside the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) and Kommando Spezialkräfte der Marine (KSM) of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), GSG 9 may also be tasked with rescuing German citizens in overseas hostage situations.
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