71st Special Battalion or 71st Counter Terrorism Battalion or as known today Special Unit II is a Jordanian Special Forces battalion that specializes in combating terrorism.
| 71st Special Battalion (Jordan) / Special Unit II | |
|---|---|
| الكتيبة الخاصة 71 (الأردن) / الوحدة الخاصة 2 | |
 Emblem of the 71st Special Battalion | |
| Active | 1973 – present |
| Country |  Jordan |
| Branch | Jordanian Armed Forces |
| Type | Special forces |
| Size | Battalion |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | unknown |
Operations
edit
The battalion is thought to have participated in several operations.[1]
In 1977, they participated in ending a hotel siege in Amman.[2]
In 2006, following 2005 Amman Bombings, the battalion collaborated with the Jordanian intelligence agents in several operations which included the capture of Ziad Khalaf Raja al-Karbouly in Iraq.[3]
In 2013, Crown Prince Hussein participated in a training session with the 71st battalion members.[4]
On 22 June 2014, responding to the threat of ISIS which captured the Iraqi city of Ar Rutba not far from the Jordanian border, the unit was dispatched to the area.[5]
On 1 March 2016, the unit clashed with extremist militias in the city of Irbid in northern Jordan as part of the General Intelligence Directorate attempt to foil a terrorist plot against military and civilian targets in Jordan by ISIS affiliates.[6]
The battalion was dispatched to the Kerak Castle, during the events of the 2016 Al-Karak attack.[7]
References
edit- ^ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "Jordan: The Special Forces or Special Operations of the Jordanian Armed Forces". Refworld. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
- ^ Bennett, R M (2011). Elite Forces. Virgin Books. ISBN 9780753547649. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
- ^ "Jordan faces growing Salafist-jihadist threat - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
- ^ "تدريبات الامير الحسين بن عبدالله الثاني ولي العهد مع الكتيبة الخاصة ٧١". YouTube. 2013-10-20. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
- ^ Schenker, David (July 13, 2014). "Countering the ISIS Threat to Jordan". WINEP.
- ^ "King attends funeral of fallen officer as Jordanians hail success of anti-terror operation". 3 March 2016.
- ^ "Canadian killed in shootout at Jordanian castle, other tourists held hostage". Reuters. 18 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.