The Military Police Special Operation Battalion "Cobras" (Serbian: Батаљон војне полиције специјалне намене "Кобрe", Bataljon vojne policije specijalne namene "Kobre") is a military police unit of the Serbian military, responsible for counter-terrorism, close protection and special operations.
The unit was first established by the order of the Secretary of Defense in 1978. The unit was joined with the 282nd battalion of the JNA in 1988. By the 1999 it became a separate anti-terrorist squad with a recognizable symbol of winged cobra.The wars in former Yugoslavia had cobras fighting with the British SAS, U.S. Marines. Only one member was lost in this combat with the British SAS.As of 2007 this unit is directly subordinate to the General Staff besides being part of the military police. The unit is consisted of 2 platoons and 60 members as of 2007. This unit is also responsible for close protection of military officials. Cobras are the best special forces unit of Serbia and one of the best trained special forces in Europe.
Famous quotes containing the words military and/or police:
“Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive factor; it is people, not things, that are decisive. The contest of strength is not only a contest of military and economic power, but also a contest of human power and morale. Military and economic power is necessarily wielded by people.”
—Mao Zedong (18931976)
“A sure proportion of rogue and dunce finds its way into every school and requires a cruel share of time, and the gentle teacher, who wished to be a Providence to youth, is grown a martinet, sore with suspicions; knows as much vice as the judge of a police court, and his love of learning is lost in the routine of grammars and books of elements.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)