Attacks

In international law, “attacks” are acts of violence against the adversary, whether in offence or defence and in whatever territory conducted. This definition applies to

any act of land, air or sea warfare which may affect the civilian population or civilian objects on land;
all attacks from the sea or the air against objectives on land.

Attacks on the civilian population as such, acts of violence the primary purpose of which is to spread terror among the civilian population, and indiscriminate attacks on specified categories of places and civilian objects are prohibited. Precautions must be taken in preparing and carrying out attacks and against the effects of attacks.

LEGAL SOURCE

PI, 49/1

CASES

BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCES

DOWNES Alexander B., Targeting Civilians in War, Ithaca, London, Cornell University Press, 2008, 315 pp. OLASOLO Héctor, Unlawful Attacks in Combat Situations: from the ICTY’s Case Law to the Rome Statute, Leiden, M. Nijhoff, 2008, 288 pp. ROSEN Richard D., “Targeting Enemy Forces in the War on Terror: Preserving Civilian Immunity”, in Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, Vol. 42, No. 3, May 2009, pp. 683-777.

Precautions against the effect of attacks See Precautions in attack; Prohibited attacks against the civilian population or intended to spread terror among the civilian population