Different types of terrorism

As in the case of a definition of terrorism, there is no single classification of terrorism.
There are five types of terrorism:

• state terrorism
  
• religious terrorism
  
• criminal terrorism
  
• political terrorism, and
  
• Oppositional terrorism.

“State terrorism” is as contentious a concept as that of terrorism itself. Terrorism is often, though not always, defined in terms of four characteristics:

• The threat or use of violence;
  
• A political purpose; the desire to change the status quo;
  
• The intention to spread fear by commits spectacular public acts;
  
• The intentional target of civilians. This last element - targeting innocent civilians - is difficult when one tries to distinguish state terrorism from other forms of state violence.
  

Nationalist terrorists seeks to form a separate state for their own national group, repeatedly by drawing attention to a fight for ‘national liberation’ that they think the world has ignored. This sort of terrorism has been among the most successful at winning international consideration and concessions.

Religious terrorists seek to use fighting to further what they see as divinely commanded purposes, often targeting broad categories of foes in an attempt to bring about extensive changes. Religious terrorists come from all major trusts, as well as from small cults. Because religious terrorists are concerned not with rallying a electorate of fellow nationalists or ideologues but with pursuing their own vision of the divine will, they lack one of the major Constraints that traditionally has limited the scope of terror attacks.