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Has the federal government sent elite operators to New Orleans in the aftermath of a deadly terrorist attack?

Terrorist Shamsud Din Jabbar – an American citizen and former member of the Army – killed 15 people and wounded dozens more in an attack carried out early Wednesday morning.

Jabbar was killed after police in New Orleans in the French Quarter region engaged him. Now, the city is attempting to put the pieces together and figure out what is going on.

A piece of the puzzle might include the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team.

Terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar killed 15 people in New Orleans. He died in the attack. (Photo by -/FBI/AFP via Getty Images)

What is the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team?

Tom Rogan – a really solid foreign policy reporter for the Washington Examiner – reported Wednesday that “a Department of Justice Boeing 757-200 aircraft flew from Richmond, Virginia, to New Orleans on Wednesday afternoon” following the attack.

It’s believed members of the FBI’s highly-secretive HRT were on that plane – something the government would never publicly confirm. Rogan reported it’s likely members of the “FBI’s counter-IED section and crisis negotiation unit joined HRT on the flight.”

That might leave a lot of people asking one very simple question:

What is FBI HRT?

Is the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team in New Orleans? A new report claims members of HRT were sent to New Orleans following a terrorist attack that left 15 people dead. (Photo by Matt McClain/ The Washington Post via Getty Images)

It’s a good question. Unlike elite military units like the Navy SEALs, Army Rangers and Green Berets that all have plenty of attention, the average American has never heard of HRT.

The incredibly elite counter-terrorism and hostage rescue team is based out of Quantico, Virginia, and it’s the federal government’s only non-military Tier One unit.

It’s tasked with conducting hostage rescues and manhunts all over the country. It’s a “break glass in case of emergency” unit. Members of HRT also deploy overseas attached to elite military units to assist with capturing terrorists.

One of its most famous missions was finding and capturing the Boston Bombers back in 2013.

HRT is an incredibly elite hostage rescue team. (Photo by Matt McClain/ The Washington Post via Getty Images)

HRT – which was founded in 1983 – uses similar CQB tactics to Delta Force and SEAL Team 6, and sometimes the exact same equipment. That includes pano NVGs you can see the guy in the photo above wearing.

Many specific details about HRT aren’t publicly available, but when they show up to a situation, it’s a sign it’s being taken incredibly seriously.

HRT is incredibly elite. (Photo by Matt McClain/ The Washington Post via Getty Images)

I texted a SEAL Team 6 veteran Wednesday night to get his read on HRT as a former Tier One guy, and he had nothing but high praise. Other than some tactical differences due to the rules of engagement in a civilian setting, he said they’re hard-hitting operators. That’s what the good guys want to hear. Hopefully, they’re able to make sure there’s nothing else on the way, and if so, end it before it gets started. Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.