As you have seen there are different plans of action and ways terrorists operate, but it is also good to know that there are five specific types of violence. It is helpful in understanding the terrorist act, resolving it and dealing with its aftermath.
Primordial Violence: this type will stem from conflicts among basic communities, for example people who share ethnicity, religion, or are of the same nation. As an example it is akin to the longstanding feud between Protestants and Catholics.
Separatist Violence: can be an outgrowth of primordial violence, but more specifically, it aims at the gain of independence for the individuals or group involved. Usually a sub group of the major group wants to break away and be recognized for its differences, most often this group wants to form it's own country and it's own government.
Revolutionary Violence: is aimed at overthrowing or replacing an existing leader or regime of people. This type of action tends to take place in countries ruled by dictators or oligarchies, where all the power is placed in the hands of a few.
Coups: this refers to groups focused primarily on revolution, corruption, and chaos, most often they are military groups or have strong connections to the recognized military in their country.
Issues: this term refers to all the violence that won't fit into any category mentioned above. For example, dealing with small issues on rights and legalities of controversial issues such as abortions. .
The most prominent and largest example of terrorist violence on U.S soil happened two short years ago on the infamous day September 11, 2001. There's no need to explain all the tragedy of that day, everyone in the world knows already. Before that day America had never seen an attack to that magnitude and so close to home. Never had so many innocent lives been ripped away before anyone knew we were being attacked. Many other countries have known destruction like this before.
