16 associated with war. These include sub-conventional and noncombat operations; they usually involve the combined and coordinated effort of government (civil and military) and nongovernment agencies. In essence, OOTW activities assist to deter war, resolve conflict and promote peace and well being with use or demonstrated threat of use of force. Sub-Conventional War 2.7 Low Intensity Conflict (LIC). LIC is a generic term encompassing all kinds of armed conflicts that are above the level of peaceful co-existence amongst states and below the threshold of war. These include proxy war, terrorism and insurgencies; border skirmishes also fall within this category. It involves protracted struggle of competing principles and ideologies. Low Intensity Conflict Operations (LICO) figures at the lower end of the spectrum of conflict and is characterised by one or all of the following conditions : Asymmetry of force levels between the regular forces and the irregular opposition force. • The force applied and the violence generated depends on the code of conduct and the capabilities of the weaker side. • Laws of the land impose restrictions on the actions of security forces. • 2.8 Proxy War. Proxy war is a war conducted between nations utilising non-state players to fight on their behalf. At least one of them employs a third party to fight on its behalf. The extent and type of support provided by the states involved in proxy war will vary but financial and logistic support are normally always provided. An example of a proxy war is the foreign sponsored terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir. 2.9 Insurgency. Insurgency is an organised armed struggle by a section of the local population against the State, usually with foreign support. The many possible causes of an insurgency include nationalistic, ethnic, linguistic, religious or cultural separatism, poor governance, economic deprivation, corruption, discrimination and oppression. Its goals may be seizure of power and replacement of the existing regime or