In the context of an occupation or an armed rebellion, counter-insurgency (abbreviated COIN)'s a military term for the combat against an insurgency, by forces aligned with the recognised government of the territory in which the armed conflict takes place. While in theory the term refers exclusively to armed conflict against insurgents, in reality military intelligence may be unable to distinguish between an insurgent and a supporter of an insurgency who's a non-combatant. As such, counter-insu… (More on Counter-insurgency)