A detail from the training demonstration. : Ministry of Internal Affairs

July 27 was the most dynamic day of the multiday seminar, when a tactical demonstration was organized and carried out by the joint negotiating teams, as well as by operators of the Gendarmerie Novi Sad Detachment Specialist Unit.

Negotiating teams are very important in crisis management, because they are able to save lives, through a timely contact and patient negotiation.

The tactical demonstration was themed on armed hijackers on an international passenger train, that ran on the Novi Sad — Budapest route. Field work provided intel that two hijackers were actually human traffickers, operating over the Serbian-Hungarian border for years, with a total number of hostages taken remaining unknown. An aggravating fact in the scenario regarded to windows on the car (wagon), over which curtains were lowered.

Regional seminars, such as this one, are an excellent opportunity for colleagues of partnering states to achieve a cooperation on a tactical level, exchange experience and practice operating methodology together.

A detail from the training demonstration. : Ministry of Internal Affairs

Through the scenario, the present had a chance to learn more about negotiators` work, especially ways of achieving contact, methods to relax a hijacker and establish trust, along with methods to distract a hijacker, and ways by which negotiators communicate with friendly forces on sight.

Following the situation development on sight, the negotiators perceived a fitting moment to assault the wagon with the hijackers, with a specialist team from Novi Sad conducting the assault. Gendarmes had previously taken divided into two teams, positioning at the front and back of the wagon with the hijackers. A decision was made to breach from the back, due to a higher chance to cover approach. A team of 11 specialists carried out the assault using an explosive frame and a breaching platform. The team at the front of the wagon was covering the assault team in advancing, together with a sniper pair that was providing information to the negotiators and covering the assault team all the time.

A detail from the training demonstration. : Ministry of Internal Affairs

The demonstration and seminar itself were perceived as very successful, with the agreement of the present that practices such as this are to be continued in the future.

• GENDARMERIE
• POLICE
• SPECIAL FORCES

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