specijalci

Specijalci is a term used in several South Slavic languages to describe personnel assigned to special forces or specialized police units. The word is borrowed from the English "special" and is used both officially and colloquially to denote "specialists" who perform high-risk operations beyond ordinary duties. It can refer to military units or police units designated for elite operations.

In a military context, specijalci are members of special operations forces trained for tasks such as counter-terrorism, reconnaissance, direct action, airborne insertions, and clandestine missions. They typically operate under a high degree of secrecy and work in joint or independent missions.

In the police domain, specijalci denotes special police units tasked with counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, protection of VIPs, anti-organized crime operations, and crisis response. They undergo rigorous recruitment and training, including physical conditioning, advanced firearms, close-quarters combat, explosives safety, and survival skills, with ongoing selection and internal discipline processes.

Organization and oversight vary by country, but in the Balkans many states maintain both military and police special units. The use of specijalci is governed by national laws, and, in democratic systems, by rules of engagement and human-rights protections.