The Schutzkorps (Bosnian: Šuckor / Zaštitni korpus, Serbo-Croatian: Šuckor; lit. "Protection Corps") was an auxiliary volunteer militia established by Austro-Hungarian authorities in the newly annexed province of Bosnia and Herzegovina to track down Bosnian Serb opposition (members of the Chetniks and the Komiti), while its main victims were civilians. Officially, they were an auxiliary gendarmerie, while in reality, they conducted illegal and repressive activities. It predominantly drew recruits from members of the Bosniak population and it became infamous as a result of its heavy involvement in the persecution of the Serbs. They particularly targeted Serb populated areas of eastern Bosnia.