Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit (Greece)

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Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit
Eidikí Katastaltikí Antitromokratikí Monáda
Ειδική Κατασταλτική Αντιτρομοκρατική Μονάδα
Active1978–present
Country Greece
AgencyHellenic Police
TypePolice tactical unit
Role
AbbreviationEKAM
Structure
Operators200
Website
The official website (en)

The Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit (EKAM; Greek: Ειδική Κατασταλτική Αντιτρομοκρατική Μονάδα, Eidikí Katastaltikí Antitromokratikí Monáda) is the police tactical unit of the Hellenic Police. It is the most distinguished part of the Hellenic Police. The Unit was formed in 1978 when two police tactical units were created within the two police divisions that existed then. The Hellenic Gendarmerie and the Cities Police), were united into a single body in 1984, the Hellenic Police.

The first units operational in 1978 were the Special Missions Unit (MEA) of the City Police, and the Special Missions Department (TEIDA) of the Hellenic Gendarmerie. EKAM had 150 operators to start with. But when Greece became the host country of the 2004 Summer Olympics, their number increased to 200 after reassessing the needs for the magnitude of the event.[1]

Etymology[edit]

Outside international conventions the Greek name for the unit is Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit. At the time of its creation in the late 1970s, counter-terrorist units were conceived to be the assault teams deployed as a last resort against hostage situations. Hence the "suppression" designation used as a euphemism indicating a terminal engagement against terrorists .

Training[edit]

The EKAM force is based in Athens, but have several detachments spread throughout Greece's major cities. Each officer is a full-time member who must have at least five years on the force before being allowed to try out. Many receive training from the Greek Army's Ranger School before going on to the police counter-terrorism school.[2]

The Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit of the Hellenic Police follows a three-month training program every year. For its training modern, purpose-built facilities are being used. Training can also take place in other locations such as buildings in urban or rural areas (inhabited or not), the Athens International Airport, planes of Olympic Airways, the Piraeus port infrastructure, the Hellenic Railroad system, the Athens Metro.[3][4][5] Other places that have been decided as suitable to cover its training needs can also be used. The Unit is in constant cooperation with other Special Units abroad such as the FBI, SAS and ERU via the ATLAS Network.[6][7]

E.K.A.M. operators are trained as specialists:[8]

  • Special Assault Teams
  • Snipers
  • Breachers - Forced entry against doors and walls.
  • Paratroopers
  • Water Assaulters - Frogmen
  • Rappel Teams
  • Ski Assaulters
  • Tactical Medics
  • Canine Handlers

Competitions[edit]

EMAK participates annually in the Warrior competition organized at King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Centre (KASOTC) in Jordan.[8][9]

  • May 2018: 5th, achieved the highest score of all European country participants.
  • May 2017: 3rd place in two of the events and was placed 5th at the end of the competition.
  • May 2016: 8th place at the end of the competition.

Operations[edit]

The Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit of the Hellenic Police, operates all around Greece and abroad whenever is deemed necessary.[10] It has confronted challenges such as hostage situations and it has contributed in the arrests of many dangerous criminals, playing a key role in the dismantling of the November 17 and Revolutionary People's Struggle terrorist organizations.[11][12] E.K.A.M. intervenes after the approval of the Lieutenant General of Police.

In March 2003, it confronted successfully an incident on a Turkish Airlines which was hijacked while it flew a domestic flight in Turkey, from Istanbul to Ankara (flight no. 160) and was forced to land at the Athens International Airport at the order of the hijacker.[13] In a successful operation the Unit stormed the plane and arrested the hijacker by incapacitating him with a taser[14] and releasing all hostages safely.[15]

In 2022, EKAM was called to a hostage situation in the Pallini suburb of Attica after a man held 4 people hostage.[16] The man was apprehended and nobody was killed in the incident.[17]

In the same year, they were called in a hostage and domestic violence situation that lasted several hours. The perpetrator and former partner, forced his ex-wife to follow him from her house in Galatsi, to his own in Agios Panteleimonas, at knifepoint. At home, he threatened the police units by holding a gas cylinder and a lighter, threatening to cause an explosion. According to police officer interview, the suspect stated characteristically: "I will blow up the whole building, whatever is destined to happen will happen, I don't care about my life, I will go to Allah". The building was evacuated by the police and the EKAM operators, along with other police units behind them, breached the door and arrested the man, catching him by surprise – since the suspect and the police were establishing negotiations beforehand, but it was established that the suspect was not going to surrender.[18][19] They were later comended by then Minister of Citizen Protection, Takis Theodorikakos.[20]

In October 2023, after the beginning of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, EKAM was deployed in among other places, the Panathinaikos vs Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball match due to the hightened security risk.[21][22]

In February 2024, EKAM was called in Artemisiou Street, Glyfada, after a shooting involving a 76 year old man — a former employee of a shipping company of the Karnessis family. The recently fired 76 year old, had worked for the company for 36 years. The perpetrator, knowing the building well, gained access from the basement and headed initially to the mezzanine floor, where he started shooting at everyone. It resulted in three deaths, including the owner Maria Karnessis, the shipping company’s managing director Antonis Vlassakis, as well as, the former captain and company accountant Elias Koukoularis. A short time after, an EKAM team had conducted an operation to enter the premises of the shipping company in order to arrest the perpetrator who opened fire and found him dead in the basement with the shotgun next to him.[23] During the operation, EKAM located and evacuated two women, employees of the shipping company, who had hidden and locked.[24][25][26]

Duties[edit]

Equipment[edit]

Pistols[edit]

Submachine guns[edit]

Assault rifles[edit]

Machine guns[edit]

Shotguns[edit]

Sniper rifles[edit]

All the above sniper rifles can also be equipped with a special nightvision device.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Special Anti-terrorist Unit - The Special Suppressive Counter-terrorism Unit (E.K.A.M.)" (in Greek). Ministry of Citizen Protection, Hellenic Police. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  2. ^ Michaletos, Ioannis (2007-02-01). "GREEK SPECIAL FORCES OUTLOOK". rieas.gr. Research Institute for European and American Studies. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  3. ^ "Η Ειδική Κατασταλτική Αντιτρομοκρατική Μονάδα (Ε.Κ.Α.Μ.) | Ελληνική Αστυνομία". www.astynomia.gr. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  4. ^ Group), Radiotileoptiki S. A. (OPEN Digital (1980-01-01). "Βίντεο από άσκηση: Αστυνομικοί εξουδετερώνουν τρομοκράτες στο "Ελ. Βενιζέλος"". ΕΘΝΟΣ (in Greek). Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  5. ^ "24 ώρες στα άδυτα της Ελληνικής Αντιτρομοκρατικής Μονάδας (ΕΚΑΜ)". Palmografos.com. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  6. ^ Marsden, Chris. "European Union cites Boston attack to justify major anti-terrorist operation". 24 April 2013. International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  7. ^ Hickey, Aidan (2023-01-18). "EKAM: The Hellenic Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit". Grey Dynamics. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  8. ^ a b "EKAM: A Greece's answer to the terror". Spec Ops Magazine. 2018-10-28. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  9. ^ Kokkinidis, Tasos (2018-05-21). "Greek Anti-Terror Cops Trump European Rivals in International Contest". Greek Reporter.
  10. ^ "Counterterrorism Drills Conducted in Thessaloniki and Veria". Greek Reporter. 2023-06-03. EKAM is the Geek Police's elite counterterrorism unit, formed in 1978. The drills held last month were likely conducted by operators from EKAM 2, who are based in Thessaloniki. Most EKAM operators are based in Athens where EKAM 1 is located, but members of the 200-strong unit are present in most Greek cities across the country.
  11. ^ "Αποκαλύψεις για το "φιάσκο" της Ριανκούρ | BBC Greek". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
  12. ^ "Η Ειδική Κατασταλτική Αντιτρομοκρατική Μονάδα (Ε.Κ.Α.Μ.)". astynomia.gr (in Greek).
  13. ^ Bruni, Frank (2003-03-29). "Turkish Jet Is Hijacked and Flown to Athens". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  14. ^ "TASER International, Inc. commends Greek Police Special Forces on use of ADVANCED TASER M26 to arrest Turkish Airlines Flight 160 hijacker". TASER International. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
  15. ^ "Turkish Aeroplane hijacked". BBC News. BBC. 2003-03-29.
  16. ^ "Αίσιο τέλος στο θρίλερ με την ομηρία στην Παλλήνη". ΤΑ ΝΕΑ (in Greek). 2022-02-06. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  17. ^ Newsroom (2022-02-06). "Παλλήνη: Αίσιο τέλος στην ομηρία - Επέμβαση των ΕΚΑΜ". CNN.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  18. ^ Niakari, Katia (2022-01-04). "Αποκλειστικό: Η δραματική επιχείρηση της ΕΚΑΜ στον Άγιο Παντελεήμονα λεπτό προς λεπτό" [Exclusive: The dramatic operation of EKAM in Agios Pantelemonas minute by minute]. iefimerida.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-04-26. Το iefimerida.gr φέρνει στη δημοσιότητα, την κατάθεση αστυνομικού που συμμετείχε στην επιχείρηση και στις διαπραγματεύσεις που διήρκησαν πάνω από τέσσερις ώρες μέχρι τη σύλληψη του 34χρονου. [iefimerida.gr publishes the testimony of a policeman who participated in the operation and the negotiations that lasted more than four hours until the arrest of the 34-year-old.]
  19. ^ "Një egjiptian që u burgos për përdhunimin e të dashurës së tij, doli një vit më vonë dhe e bëri sërish! VIDEO" [An Egyptian who was imprisoned for raping his girlfriend, came out a year later and did it again! VIDEO]. Gazeta Shqiptare Online (in Albanian). 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2024-04-26. Për shkak të seriozitetit të situatës, në vendngjarje kanë shkuar një zyrtar gjyqësor, një negociator i posaçëm, persona të E.K.A.M., një repart i Departamentit të Agjencisë së Mjeteve Shpërthyese, një stacion E.K.A.B. dhe Zjarrfikësve, ndërsa për masa paraprake është evakuuar edhe pallati. Më në fund, në orën 20:45 të natës dhe pasi egjiptiani i dehur nuk është bindur dhe kërcënuar se do të kryente kërcënimet e tij, është kryer një operacion nga EKAM-i, ku e kanë neutralizuar. [Due to the seriousness of the situation, a court official, a special negotiator, people from EKAM, a department of the Department of the Explosive Devices Agency, an EKAB station and Firefighters went to the scene, while the building was also evacuated for precautionary measures. Finally, at 20:45 at night and after the drunk Egyptian was not convinced and threatened to carry out his threats, an operation was carried out by EKAM, where they neutralized him.]
  20. ^ "01-01-2022: Συγχαρητήρια Θεοδωρικάκου στους αστυνομικούς που συμμετείχαν στην επιχείρηση απελευθέρωσης γυναίκας ομήρου στον Άγιο Παντελεήμον" [01-01-2022: Theodorikakos congratulates the police officers who participated in the operation to free a woman hostage in Agios Panteleimonas]. www.minocp.gov.gr (in Greek).
  21. ^ Newsroom, Law & Order (2023-10-20). ""Αστακός" το ΟΑΚΑ για το Παναθηναϊκός - Μακάμπι: ΕΚΑΜ και πάνοπλοι αστυνομικοί (εικόνες) - Law & Order" (in Greek). Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  22. ^ "Στη Σταδίου διανυκτέρευσε η Μακάμπι Τελ Αβίβ, σε κατάσταση συναγερμού ΕΛΑΣ, ΕΚΑΜ και ΟΠΚΕ κατά την πορεία της αποστολής προς το ΟΑΚΑ". www.sport24.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  23. ^ "Greece: Four dead in shooting at shipping company". 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  24. ^ "Shipping Company Tragedy: How the massacre happened – The shooter was determined to kill (photos)". Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  25. ^ Newsroom (2024-02-12). "Πυροβολισμοί στη Γλυφάδα: Ποιος ήταν ο δράστης του μακελειού - «Ήρθα για να ξεκαθαρίσουμε»" [Shooting in Glyfada: Who was the perpetrator of the massacre - "I have come to settle accounts"]. CNN.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  26. ^ "«Είναι πάνω ο Άρης και πυροβολεί!»: Σοκάρουν οι μαρτυρίες εργαζομένων για το μακελειό στη Γλυφάδα" ["Ares is up there shooting!": Shocking testimonies of workers about the massacre in Glyfada]. iefimerida. 2024-02-12. Νεκρός στο υπόγειο του κτιρίου της ναυτιλιακής βρέθηκε ο 70χρονος ένοπλος που εισέβαλε το πρωί στα γραφεία της εταιρείας πυροβολώντας με καραμπίνα. [...] η ομάδα της ΕΚΑΜ τον εντόπισε στο υπόγειο του κτιρίου νεκρό με την καραμπίνα που χρησιμοποίησε δίπλα του. [...] o δράστης, αιγυπτιακής καταγωγής, πρώην εργαζόμενους που απολύθηκε πρόσφατα, σκότωσε την ιδιοκτήτρια της ναυτιλιακής, τον γαμπρό της, έναν καπετάνιο και στη συνέχεια έβαλε τέλος στη ζωή του. [The 70-year-old gunman who stormed the company's offices this morning with a shotgun was found dead in the basement of the shipping company's building. [...] EKAM found him dead in the basement of the building with the shotgun he had used next to him. [...] the perpetrator, of Egyptian origin, a former employee who was recently fired, killed the owner of the shipping company, her son-in-law, a captain and then ended his life.]
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "EKAM: The Hellenic Special Suppressive Antiterrorist Unit". greydynamics.com. January 18, 2023. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
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