Counterinsurgency
Military operation aimed at defeating insurgent forces / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Counterinsurgency (COIN, or NATO spelling counter-insurgency[1]) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces".[2] The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionaries"[3] and can be considered war by a state against a non-state adversary.[4] Insurgency and counterinsurgency campaigns have been waged since ancient history. However, modern thinking on counterinsurgency was developed during decolonization.[4]
During insurgency and counterinsurgency, the distinction between civilians and combatants is often blurred.[5] Counterinsurgency may involve attempting to win the hearts and minds of populations supporting the insurgency.[6][7] Alternatively, it may be waged in an attempt to intimidate[4][8] or eliminate civilian populations suspected of loyalty to the insurgency through indiscriminate violence.[4][9]