paramilitary organization
C859
concept
A paramilitary organization is a structured group that operates with military-style training, hierarchy, and tactics but is not formally part of a recognized state's official armed forces.
All labels observed (131)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| paramilitary organization canonical | 169 |
| armed group | 102 |
| militia | 91 |
| national police force | 75 |
| terrorist organization | 62 |
| militant organization | 56 |
| non-state armed group | 43 |
| insurgent group | 35 |
| guerrilla organization | 32 |
| paramilitary force | 32 |
| secret police | 30 |
| non-state armed actor | 28 |
| paramilitary police force | 22 |
| armed opposition group | 15 |
| insurgent organization | 13 |
| irregular military force | 12 |
| irregular military unit | 12 |
| paramilitary group | 12 |
| tactical unit | 12 |
| volunteer military force | 12 |
| Palestinian militant organization | 11 |
| armed movement | 11 |
| volunteer military formation | 11 |
| Islamist militant group | 10 |
| paramilitary unit | 9 |
| Irish republican organization | 7 |
| Zionist paramilitary organization | 7 |
| militarized police force | 7 |
| Central Armed Police Force | 6 |
| Nazi paramilitary organization | 6 |
| citizen-soldier force | 6 |
| paramilitary youth organization | 6 |
| fictional paramilitary organization | 5 |
| paramilitary organisation | 5 |
| paramilitary police unit | 5 |
| paramilitary security force | 5 |
| Irish republican paramilitary group | 4 |
| militia organization | 4 |
| state militia | 4 |
| volunteer military organization | 4 |
| armed wing of a political party | 3 |
| central armed police force | 3 |
| ethnic armed organization | 3 |
| far-right paramilitary organization | 3 |
| fascist paramilitary organization | 3 |
| loyalist paramilitary organization | 3 |
| militant Islamist organization | 3 |
| militarized security force | 3 |
| military wing of a political party | 3 |
| militia group | 3 |
| paramilitary formation | 3 |
| paramilitary law enforcement agency | 3 |
| political militia | 3 |
| territorial defence force | 3 |
| Cuban exile organization | 2 |
| Indonesian security organization | 2 |
| Jewish paramilitary organization | 2 |
| Zionist military organization | 2 |
| citizen militia | 2 |
| collaborationist paramilitary organization | 2 |
| military wing of a political organization | 2 |
| paramilitary personnel | 2 |
| peasant militia | 2 |
| pro-government militia | 2 |
| voluntary national defence organization | 2 |
| Black militia | 1 |
| Iraqi paramilitary unit | 1 |
| Irish republican paramilitary organization | 1 |
| Italian Fascist paramilitary organization | 1 |
| Paramilitary force of India | 1 |
| United Nations–mandated force | 1 |
| White movement armed group | 1 |
| all-female armed group | 1 |
| anarchist military organization | 1 |
| armed colonial group | 1 |
| armed organization | 1 |
| armed underground formation | 1 |
| armed worker militia | 1 |
| civilian militia | 1 |
| communist guerrilla army | 1 |
| covert military organization | 1 |
| designated terrorist organization | 1 |
| dissident Irish republican paramilitary group | 1 |
| dissident republican paramilitary organization | 1 |
| former militia | 1 |
| gendarmerie-style force | 1 |
| gendarmerie-type security force | 1 |
| government-backed force | 1 |
| liberation movement armed wing | 1 |
| loyalist paramilitary coordinating body | 1 |
| loyalist paramilitary group | 1 |
| militant organization collective | 1 |
| militant political organization | 1 |
| militant separatist organization | 1 |
| militant youth group | 1 |
| military police personnel | 1 |
| military resistance organization | 1 |
| militia infantry unit | 1 |
| nationalist paramilitary group | 1 |
| neo-paramilitary group | 1 |
| non-state armed actor collective | 1 |
| non‑state armed group | 1 |
| paramilitary aviation organization | 1 |
| paramilitary cover name | 1 |
| paramilitary engineering organisation | 1 |
| paramilitary force unit | 1 |
| paramilitary forces | 1 |
| paramilitary law enforcement organization | 1 |
| paramilitary police formation | 1 |
| paramilitary political organization | 1 |
| paramilitary protection unit | 1 |
| paramilitary security agency | 1 |
| paramilitary security organization | 1 |
| paramilitary social movement | 1 |
| paramilitary unit type | 1 |
| politically motivated armed group collective | 1 |
| precursor military organization | 1 |
| pro-Goukouni militia | 1 |
| pro-Russian separatist armed group | 1 |
| pro-military organization | 1 |
| protective security organization | 1 |
| right-wing paramilitary group | 1 |
| rural guerrilla group | 1 |
| specialized paramilitary force | 1 |
| state-sponsored militia | 1 |
| state-sponsored paramilitary militia | 1 |
| tribal paramilitary police force | 1 |
| vigilante militia | 1 |
| voluntary national defence organisation | 1 |
| volunteer defence force | 1 |
| white supremacist paramilitary organization | 1 |
Instances (930)
| Instance | Via concept surface |
|---|---|
| Anglo-Saxon fyrd | militia |
| Yugoslav-era Slovenian Territorial Defence | territorial defence force |
|
RAF
surface form:
Red Army Faction
|
terrorist organization |
|
Forces Nationales de Libération (FNL)
surface form:
Forces Nationales de Libération
|
armed group |
| RAID | tactical unit |
| Indian infantry brigades | tactical unit |
| Freikorps Sudetenland | — |
|
Fallout organizations
surface form:
Enclave
|
fictional paramilitary organization |
| New Zealand colonial militia | militia |
| Glanton gang | paramilitary group |
| Peace Brigades | paramilitary group |
|
Saraya al-Salam (Peace Companies)
surface form:
Saraya al-Salam
|
armed group |
| IMRO armed wing | — |
| GDI paramilitary units | — |
| Blueshirt movement | — |
| National Guard (Ireland) | — |
| Civic Guard | national police force |
| Border ruffians | paramilitary group |
| Jayhawkers | paramilitary group |
| Democratic Army of Greece | communist guerrilla army |
| Minutemen | militia |
| Yugoslav secret police | secret police |
| Police of Poland | national police force |
| Irish Republican Army | — |
| Administration Police Service | paramilitary police force |
| National Volunteers | paramilitary organisation |
| Border Patrol Police Bureau | paramilitary law enforcement agency |
| Maoist People’s Liberation Army | — |
| Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam | militant organization |
| Hitler Youth | — |
| Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine | militant organization |
| Brigada Político-Social | secret police |
|
UDA
surface form:
Ulster Defence Association
|
loyalist paramilitary organization |
| Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | militant organization |
| Narodnaya Volya | terrorist organization |
| Real Irish Republican Army | — |
| Real IRA | dissident Irish republican paramilitary group |
| British Transport Police | national police force |
| Province of North Carolina militia | citizen-soldier force |
| National Guardsmen | paramilitary personnel |
|
Raul Hernandez
surface form:
Brigade 2506
|
paramilitary group |
| Israel Police | national police force |
|
SA
surface form:
Sturmabteilung
|
— |
|
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces
surface form:
Syrian Democratic Forces
|
non-state armed group |
| Free Syrian Army | armed opposition group |
| Jabhat al-Nusra | non-state armed group |
| SAVAK | secret police |
| Patriot forces of Peru | armed group |
| Spanish Blue Division | volunteer military formation |
|
OT
surface form:
Organisation Todt
|
Nazi paramilitary organization |