OZNA - Odeljenje za Zaštitu Naroda (lit. Department for Protection of the People) was a security agency of the communist Yugoslavia.
OZNA was founded on May 13, 1944 under the leadership of Aleksandar-Leka Rankovic (aka Marko), who was a close associate of Josip Broz Tito, the leader of Yugoslav partisan movement during World War II and life-long President of Yugoslavia, a top member of the Politburo until his downfall in 1965/66.
The organization consisted of four sections:
- intelligence under Maks Bace
- counter-intelligence under Pavle Pekić
- army security under Jeftimije (aka Jefto) Sasić, and
- technical/statistics under Mijat Vuletić
The third section re-formed in 1946 to create KOS - Kontra Obaveštajna Služba (lit. Counter-Intelligence Service) under leadership of JNA - Jugoslovenska Narodna Armija (Yugoslav People's Army).
See also
