A term used predominantly in the Arab and Islamic world referring to militant operations carried out by a person seeking martyrdom. Like the term martyr, the meaning of “martyrdom operation” can vary depending on who is using the term and in what context. In most cases, the term is used to refer to militant operations during which the assailant deliberately sets out (and succeeds) in sacrificing himself/herself during the attack, with the intention of killing others as well. While the Western media commonly refers to such acts as “suicide bombings” or “terrorist attacks,” many Islamic organizations refer to them as “martyrdom operations,” since the act of suicide is forbidden in Islam. According to such organizations, the person carrying out the operation did not commit suicide but rather died as a martyr on behalf of a sacred cause. In the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, martyrdom operations are mostly carried out by Islamist militant groups and individuals. However, it is important to recognize that the term “martyrdom operation” may be used to refer to operations during which there was no deliberate self-sacrificial intent. For example, members of a non-Islamic organization may die in a militant operation, without deliberately intending to do so, and the operation may nonetheless be referred to by some observers as a “martyrdom operation” since those who died are considered martyrs. See also Martyr and Suicide Attack/Bombing. See Malka, Haim. “Must Innocents Die? The Islamic Debate over Suicide Attacks.” Middle East Quarterly. Vol. 10, No.2 (Spring 2003), pp. 19-28. http://www.meforum.org/530/must-innocents-die-the-islamic-debate-over.  http://www.justvision.org/glossary/martyrdom-operation