List of paramilitary organizations



The following is a list of paramilitary organisations.

Kenya

 * General Service Unit (Kenya)
 * Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)

Libya (Libyan House of Representatives)

 * Avengers of Blood

Mauritius

 * Special Mobile Force

Nigeria

 * Nigeria immigration service (NIS)
 * Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)
 * Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps
 * Safety and Traffic Cadet Corps
 * Federal Fire Service
 * Nigeria Correctional Service
 * Nigeria Custom Service (NCS)
 * National Drug Law Enforcement Agency

Sudan

 * Rapid Support Forces (till 2023)

Canada

 * Canadian Rangers
 * The Emergency Response Team (RCMP)
 * Marine Emergency Response Team

Costa Rica
The Public Force of Costa Rica is responsible for law enforcement duties, acting as both a civilian police force and gendarmerie. In addition to ordinary policing, it is responsible for border patrol, counter-insurgency, riot control, tourism security, and coast guard duties.

Peru

 * The Rondas campesinas are community-based groups in Peru, formed initially to combat cattle rustling and later in response to the Shining Path insurgency. They function primarily as local self-defense and law enforcement entities, especially in rural areas with limited government presence.

United States

 * CIA Special Activities Center, Special Operations Group
 * DOE Federal Protective Forces
 * DOE Office of Secure Transportation
 * FBI SWAT
 * FBI Hostage Rescue Team
 * United States Marshals Service
 * National Lancers
 * SWAT

Venezuela

 * Venezuelan National Guard
 * Bolivarian Militia of Venezuela

Indonesia

 * Brimob
 * Densus 88

Malaysia

 * Pasukan Gerakan Am as Paramilitary Force
 * People's Volunteer Corps of Ministry of Home Affairs
 * 69 Komando PGK as Multi Spectrum Special Force

Pakistan

 * Civil Armed Forces

Vietnam

 * Militia and Self-Defense (Vietnam)

Albania

 * RENEA

Estonia

 * Estonian Defence League

Finland

 * Border Guard
 * Police Rapid Response Unit

France

 * Action Division of DGSE
 * National Gendarmerie
 * Marseille Naval Fire Battalion of the French Navy
 * Paris Fire Brigade of the French Army

Georgia

 * Mkhedrioni
 * Monadire

Italy

 * Guardia di Finanza

Latvia

 * Zemessardze

Lithuania

 * Lithuanian Riflemen's Union

Netherlands

 * Royal Marechaussee
 * Special Intervention Service

Poland

 * BOA KGP

Portugal

 * Guarda Nacional Republicana (National Republican Guard)

Russia

 * Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation
 * Kadyrovtsy
 * Fakel (allegedly)
 * Wagner Group (since 2023)
 * Redut (since 2022)

Sweden

 * National Task Force

Turkey

 * Village Guards

Ukraine

 * Azov Battalion
 * Noman Çelebicihan Battalion

Iran

 * Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
 * Basij

Iraq

 * Popular Mobilization Forces
 * Facilities Protection Service

Israel

 * Magav

Syria

 * National Defence Forces

Australia

 * Australian Border Force

Somalia

 * Raskamboni Front

Sudan

 * Rapid Support Forces

Colombia

 * AUC
 * AAA
 * CONVIVIR
 * Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá (ACCU)
 * Los Paisas
 * Black Eagles
 * Los Rastrojos
 * Libertadores del Vichada
 * Bloque Meta
 * ERPAC

See also Right-wing paramilitarism in Colombia.

Mexico

 * Jalisco New Generation Cartel
 * Grupos de autodefensa comunitaria

United States
Various unorganized non-governmental Militia organizations in the United States (that are not associated with the U.S. military, law enforcement agencies, nor state defense forces in any way). There are many others totaling at around 334 unorganized militia groups as of 2011
 * 3 Percenters
 * Arizona Border Recon
 * Hutaree
 * Idaho Light Foot Militia
 * Michigan Militia
 * Militia of Montana
 * Missouri Citizens Militia
 * New York Light Foot Militia
 * Oath Keepers
 * Ohio Defense Force
 * Texas Light Foot Militia
 * Fruit of Islam, paramilitary wing of the Nation of Islam

Cambodia

 * Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF) (Cholana Kangtoap Serei Cheat Kampouchea): Rebel group in Cambodia

Indonesia

 * Pancasila Youth
 * Free Aceh Movement: Regional separatist group in Aceh, Indonesia. Also known as Aceh Security Disturbance Movement.

Malaysia

 * Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN): National separatist group in Malaysia and Thailand
 * Barisan Nasional Pembebasan Patani (BNPP): Islamic insurgent group in Malaysia and Thailand

Myanmar

 * Eastern Shan State Army
 * Mong Tai Army (MTA): Armed drug cartel
 * National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA)
 * United Wa State Army (UWSA): Autonomous military group in Wa State
 * Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA): Also known as the Kokang Army, a Kokang nationalist group active in Myanmar.
 * Karen National Liberation Army
 * Kachin Independence Army: Group in North Burma which occupies most of Kachin State.
 * Shan State Army - North
 * Shan State Army - South

Philippines

 * Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG): Islamic separatist group in the southern Philippines. Also known as Al Harakut Al Islamiyya.
 * Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB): Urban militant group of the Communist Party of the Philippines
 * Bagani: A counter insurgency group operating in Cabanglasan.
 * Ilaga (1971-1979): Christian extremist paramilitary group in the Southern Philippines. They battled against the Moro National Liberation Front and Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
 * Alamara: A counterinsurgency operating across the central-eastern side of Mindanao

Sri Lanka

 * Eelam People’s Democratic Party

Thailand

 * Barasi Revolusi Nasional (BRN): National separatist group in Malaysia and Thailand
 * Barisan National Pember-Basan Pattani (BNPP): Islamic insurgent group in Malaysia and Thailand

Kosovo

 * Albanian National Army

Bosnia and Herzegovina

 * Green Berets
 * Serbian Honour. A Russian-trained and -funded paramilitary unit acting in support of separatist leader Milorad Dodik.

Croatia

 * Ustaše Militia acted as a para-military unit, an auxiliary part of the WW2 Croatian Nazi Puppet State's Armed Forces

Georgia

 * Algeti Wolves: Georgian group which carried out anti-Russian attacks in the 1990s.
 * Merab Kostava Society
 * White Eagles
 * Forest Brothers
 * White Legion

Ireland

 * Óglaigh na hÉireann (OnH) (2006–09): Small dissident Irish republican group, split from the Continuity IRA.
 * Óglaigh na hÉireann (OnH) (2009–): Dissident Irish republican group, split from the Real IRA due to differences in leadership and factionalism.

Poland

 * Strzelec Riflemen's Association of Poland

Russia

 * Russian Orthodox Army
 * Interbrigades
 * Russian Imperial Movement
 * Wagner Group (till 2023)
 * Fakel (allegedly)
 * Patriot (company)

Turkey

 * Grey Wolves

Ukraine

 * Atesh (movement)
 * Berdiansk Partisan Army
 * Freedom of Russia Legion
 * Misanthropic Division
 * Popular Resistance of Ukraine
 * Russian Volunteer Corps
 * Ukrainian National Self Defense

United Kingdom
There are a number of paramilitary organisations in the United Kingdom, most of them operate in and around Northern Ireland and are a continuation of the various paramilitary groups which operated in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. Apart from these, there are a small number of white supremacist paramilitary organisations which operate in the United Kingdom.
 * Real Irish Republican Army mainly in Northern Ireland
 * Ulster Defence Association (UDA): Ulster loyalist group.
 * Ulster Resistance mainly in Northern Ireland
 * Ulster Volunteer Force mainly in Northern Ireland
 * Combat 18 - British Neo-Nazi group
 * Red Hand Commando (RHC): Ulster loyalist paramilitary group, linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force
 * Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF): Ulster loyalist group, split from the UVF's Mid-Ulster Brigade.
 * Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) (1974–): Split from the Official IRA in opposition to the OIRA's 1972 ceasefire. Mainly in Northern Ireland
 * Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO) (1986–92): Formed by expelled and disaffected members of the INLA after that group started to reduce operations in the mid 1980s. The group were heavily involved in drug dealing and other criminal activities and were forcibly shut down in 1992 by the Provisional IRA.
 * Irish Republican Liberation Army (IRLA) (2006–): A "self-styled vigilante group" that split from the Continuity IRA. Linked to the Loyalist Volunteer Force according to some sources.
 * The name Irish Republican Army (IRA) has been used by many Irish republican groups in the 20th and 21st centuries. The following names are commonly used by the media and security services, but each group referred to themselves solely as the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and generally rejected the legitimacy of the others.
 * Irish Volunteers (1913–16) Set up to counter the Ulster Volunteers but was shut down after the Easter Rising and formed the I.R.A. (1917–22)
 * Irish Republican Army (1917–22): The original IRA, which was the official defence force of the Irish Republic and fought in the Irish War of Independence.
 * Irish Republican Army (1922–69): The anti-treaty continuation of the original IRA, active during the Irish Civil War, Irish sabotage campaign, Northern Campaign, Irish Border Campaign and the Troubles.
 * Official IRA (OIRA) (1969–72): The Official IRA was formed after a split in 1969 between different factions of the 1922 IRA. The OIRA became a more overtly political movement, advocating Marxist–Leninist principles.
 * Provisional IRA (PIRA) (1969–2005): Also known as the Provos, the Provisional IRA was the more militarily active of the two IRAs created out of the 1969 split.
 * Continuity IRA (CIRA) (1986–): Split from the Provisional IRA when that group dropped its policy of abstentionism in relation to Dáil Éireann.
 * Real IRA (RIRA) (1997–): Known in the media as the New IRA since their 2012 merger with Republican Action Against Drugs and other smaller republican militant groups, they split from the Provisional IRA over that group's support for the Irish peace process and the Good Friday Agreement.

Iran

 * Ansar-e Hezbollah

Israel

 * Tsav 9

Lebanon

 * Hezbollah

Palestine

 * Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas
 * Al-Quds Brigades of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 * Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
 * Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades of the Popular Resistance Committees
 * Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades of the PFLP
 * National Resistance Brigades of the DFLP


 * Mujahideen Brigades of the Palestinians Mujahideen Movement

Multinational

 * Nordic Strength
 * Sea Org: Scientology group with roots in naval tradition. Dress in uniforms, live communally in barracks, and are organized around naval ranks. Some dispute whether it is paramilitary.