El Salvador: Information on the Atonal immediate reaction battalion (BIRI) in 1989, and on the 3rd brigade's cazador (hunter) battalion in 1991
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 December 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SLV16073.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, El Salvador: Information on the Atonal immediate reaction battalion (BIRI) in 1989, and on the 3rd brigade's cazador (hunter) battalion in 1991, 1 December 1993, SLV16073.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac115c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Please find attached some reports that refer to the Atonal immediate reaction battalion. References to cazadores (hunters) battalions for 1991 could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB.
An officer with the Military Attaché office at the Embassy of El Salvador in Washington, DC stated that the batallón de cazadores (literally translated as "hunters battalion") was a concept used in the mid-1980s (approximately 1983 to 1985) that resulted in small battalions attached to larger units (29 Jan. 1992). The concept was abandoned at least five years ago, and since then only regular-sized battalions have existed (Ibid.).
A United States reporter familiar with the armed forces of El Salvador stated that hunter battalions were small battalions intended to carry out "search and destroy" missions and may have consisted of approximately 100 men, usually with one hunter battalion attached to a brigade-level unit (29 Jan. 1992).
The attached reports indicate that the Atonal immediate reaction battalion (BIRI) had its headquarters in Usulut n, close to the headquarters of the 6th Brigade. The battalion reportedly carried out a variety of missions, including patrolling the capital city of the department, protection of coffee pickers and anti-guerrilla operations. The attachments include reports from 1990 and 1991 that mention the Atonal battalion.
Please find attached a copy of an organizational chart of the Salvadoran armed forces prepared by El Rescate Human Rights Department. According to this chart the immediate reaction battalions were independent units of approximately 1,000 men each, although the actual size of military units could be 5 to 15 per cent smaller than reported, due to inflated numbers and "ghost soldiers" (1 June 1990). "Ghost soldiers" (plazas ficticias or fictitious posts in Spanish) are non-existent soldiers who are reportedly added to a large unit's roster to draw salaries that can be diverted into the unit's slush fund (The New York Times Magazine 10 Dec. 1989, 95).
The demobilization of the immediate reaction battalions was recently carried out as part of the peace agreement between the government of El Salvador and the guerrillas (details on the demobilization of army and guerrilla units can be found in DIRB publications, as well as in its Indexed Media Review).
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
El Rescate Human Rights Department. 1 June 1990. Toward Reconciliation in El Salvador: Demilitarization and the Salvadoran Armed Forces. Los Angeles: El Rescate Human Rights Department. (Chart of the command structure of the armed forces)
Embassy of El Salvador, Washington, DC. 29 January 1992. Telephone interview with officer.
Journalist specializing in Latin American issues, New York. 29 January 1992. Telephone interview.
The New York Times Magazine. 10 December 1989. Joel Millman. "El Salvador's Army: A Force Unto Itself."
Attachments
The Associated Press (AP). 28 November 1991. AM Cycle. Annie Cabrera. "U.N. Mediator Tells Salvadorans to Cool Their War Rhetoric." (NEXIS)
. 13 December 1989. PM Cycle. Douglas Grant Mine. "Urban Offensive Brings Respite to Countryside." (NEXIS)
Central America Update [Albuquerque, NM]. 5 December 1990. "El Salvador: Update on Rebels' `Limited Offensives.'" (NEXIS)
. 26 July 1989. "El Salvador: Reports on Human Rights Abuses." (NEXIS)
. 17 February 1989. "Salvadoran Rebels Launch New Attacks, UNTS Office Bombed." (NEXIS)
El Rescate Human Rights Department. 1 June 1990. Toward Reconciliation in El Salvador: Demilitarization and the Salvadoran Armed Forces. Los Angeles: El Rescate Human Rights Department. (Chart of the command structure of the armed forces)
Inter Press Service (IPS). 4 September 1990. "El Salvador: Defense Minister Warns of Possible Rebel Offensive." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 22 November 1989. AM Cycle. "Salvadoran Guerrillas Report Combat in Three Towns." (NEXIS)