Indiscriminate attacks and weapons

As a principle of international humanitarian law, armed focres are obliged to make a distinction between:

• combatants and non-combatants
• military objects and civilian objects

Attacks may only be targeted at combatants and military objectives. Any wilful breach of this principle will constitute a war crime. Therefore, it is prohibited to:

• launch indiscrimnate attacks that do not or cannot distinct between combatants, military objects and civilians or civilian objects
• use methods or means of warfare that by their nature are incapable of distinguishing between civilians, civilian objects and combatants and military objects