noun
secret military agency; secret service
Refers to a government or military organization that conducts covert operations, intelligence gathering, or special missions.
その特務機関は国外での諜報活動を担当している。
That secret service is in charge of intelligence activities abroad.
諜報機関 is a more general term for an intelligence agency, while 特務機関 emphasizes special or secret missions, often with a military connotation.
Compound of 特務 (special duty) and 機関 (agency/organization). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is conventionally associated with secret military or intelligence units.