Clarifying the definitions of terrorism vs insurgency

Terrorism is the use of violence against civilians as a means of control by organized non-state entities or individuals.

Insurgency is the use of violence against government/state entities in an attempt to attain political objectives, including a complete takeover of the said government/state.

While groups may have overlapping characteristics of both terrorist & insurgency groups, a key distinction is whether civilians are a strategic target or collateral damage in the targeting of a government/state. The former would qualify a group as terrorist in nature, while the latter would be that of an insurgency.

While some would categorize some governments as terrorist, state entities by definition have sovereign authority to use military force to establish order, and so the use of violence itself would not per se make them terrorist. In cases where a state uses excessive force on civilians, international definitions on mass violations of human rights, crimes against humanity, and genocide would more aptly apply.