Royal Gendarmerie Security and Intervention Group
Groupement de Sécurité et d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Royale
المجموعة الأمن والتدخل التابعة لقوات الدرك الملكي
Active1987 – present
Country Morocco
AgencyRoyal Moroccan Gendarmerie
TypePolice tactical unit
Role
Headquartersnear Temara, Morocco
Mottoيعيش الملك
Long Live the King
AbbreviationGSIGR
Structure
Sworn members≈ 100 operators
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Maj-Gen Mohamed Haramou
Notables
Significant operation(s)
See list:

The GSIGR (French: Groupement de Sécurité et d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Royale; Arabic: المجموعة الأمن والتدخل التابعة لقوات الدرك الملكي; transl. Royal Gendarmerie Security and Intervention Group), also known as the GSI and previously known as the GIGR, is the elite police tactical unit of the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie. Among its missions are counterterrorism, hostage rescue, close protection, aerial surveillance, maritime control, disaster response and combatting organized crime.[1][2][3]

Founded in 1987 and led by a colonel-major, the unit's headquarters are confidential, located between Skhirat and Témara.[4][5][6] The GSIGR corps has around a hundred members and is shrouded in secrecy, with its missions, always sensitive, being kept secret. However, the unit has occasionally opened up to the media.[4]

Members are chosen from the Meknes Royal Military Academy and are transferred to the Royal School of Gendarmerie in Marrakesh, with only cadets showing "exceptional physical and mental abilities" are transferred to the GSIGR.[4][2] The unit is deployed on direct orders from the gendarmerie's general command and is organized to respond urgently to all types of terrorist threats and to restore public order.[7][8]

In 1988, the GIGR rescued nine French speleologists in the Win-Timdouine cave after a three day long rescue operation which involved delivering aid, which is one of the biggest underground systems in Africa.[6][9]

In April 2007, the GIGR launched a raid in Casablanca against suspected terrorist cells which resulted in the death of a police officer, three militants detonating their suicide vests and a fourth being shot dead by police.[4] In 2010, following the events in Gdeim Izik, the GIGR arrested numerous sympathizers of the Polisario Front.[10]

A GSIGR operator deploying a surveillance drone

Organisation

GIGR is composed of the following units:

Equestrian and paratrooper units[8]

  • 1 Parachute squadron (BIP)
  • 1 SWAT team
  • 1 EOD teamw
  • 1 maritime assault
  • 1 Commando Group of the Guard
  • 1 Air Assault

References

  1. ↑ "Grand Angle: Au cœur des Unités Spécialisées de la Gendarmerie Royale" [Wide Angle: At the heart of the Specialized Units of the Royal Gendarmerie]. 2M.ma (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  2. 1 2 "La gendarme Imane Jaouharan, une adepte du tir sportif dévouée au service de la Patrie" [Gendarme Imane Jaouharan, a sports shooting enthusiast dedicated to the service of the Fatherland]. MAP Express (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  3. ↑ "La clôture, des prix et des trophées aux plus distingués" [The closing, prizes and trophies for the most distinguished] (PDF). Revue des Forces Armées Royales (in French) (413): 51. 2022-12-01.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Gendarmerie royale. L'armée à tout faire" [Royal Gendarmerie. The all-purpose army]. Telquel.ma (in French). 2012-08-19. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  5. ↑ "Confidentiel" [Confidential]. Telquel.ma (in French). 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  6. 1 2 "Spéléo: Secours sans frontière" [Caving: Rescue without borders] (PDF). Le Bien Public (in French). 1989-08-25.
  7. ↑ "Antiterrorisme: des gendarmes formés aux Etats-Unis pour protéger les sites sensibles" [Anti-terrorism: gendarmes trained in the United States to protect sensitive sites]. Le 360 Français (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  8. 1 2 "Moroccan Gendarmerie Royale". FIEP. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  9. ↑ Saber, Majda (2011-04-14). "Win-Timdouine: La grotte aux mille merveilles" [Win-Timdouine: The cave of a thousand wonders]. Aujourd'hui le Maroc (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  10. ↑ Soudan, François (2010-11-18). "Sahara: jours de fièvre" [Sahara: days of fever]. JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-16.
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