Editing Counterterrorism (section)

== Tactical units ==
[[File:Bundesarchiv_B_145_Bild-F054217-0020,_Bundesgrenzschutz,_GSG_9.jpg|right|thumb|[[GSG 9]] troopers disembarking from a helicopter in 1978. GSG 9 was one of the first tactical units to be established for the specific purpose of counterterrorism.]]

Many countries have dedicated counterterrorist units trained to handle terrorist threats. Besides various [[security agency|security agencies]], there are [[police tactical unit]]s whose role is to directly engage terrorists and prevent terrorist attacks. Such units perform both in preventive actions, hostage rescue, and responding to ongoing attacks. Countries of all sizes can have highly trained counterterrorist teams. Tactics, techniques, and procedures for [[Manhunt (military)|manhunting]] are under constant development.

These units are specially trained in [[military tactics]] and are equipped for [[close-quarters combat]], with emphasis on stealth and performing the mission with minimal casualties. The units include assault teams, [[sniper]]s, [[Bomb disposal|EOD]] experts, dog handlers, and intelligence officers. Most of these measures deal with terrorist attacks that affect an area or threaten to do so, or are lengthy situations such as [[shootout]]s and [[Police standoff|standoffs]] that allow the counterterrorist units to assemble and respond; it is harder to deal with shorter incidents such as assassinations, reprisal attacks, or bombings due to the short warning time and the quick exfiltration of the perpetrators.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Stathis N. Kalyvas |year=2004 |title=The Paradox of Terrorism in Civil Wars |url=http://research.yale.edu/stathis/files/Paradox.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Journal of Ethics |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=97–138 |doi=10.1023/B:JOET.0000012254.69088.41 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061011055800/http://research.yale.edu/stathis/files/Paradox.pdf |archive-date=October 11, 2006 |access-date=October 1, 2006 |s2cid=144121872 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The majority of counterterrorism operations at the tactical level are conducted by state, federal, and national law enforcement or [[intelligence agency|intelligence agencies]]. In some countries, the military may be called in as a last resort. For countries whose military is legally permitted to conduct domestic law enforcement operations, this is not an issue, and such counterterrorism operations are conducted by their military.