thumb|[[South African paratroops conduct a search and destroy operation against insurgents in Namibia during the 1980s; like many low-intensity conflicts, the South African Border War primarily took the form of small unit engagements and unconventional warfare.]]
A low-intensity conflict (LIC) is a military conflict, usually localised, between two or more state or non-state groups which is below the intensity of conventional war. It involves the state's use of military forces applied selectively and with restraint to enforce compliance with its policies or objectives.
The term can be used to describe conflicts where at least one or both of the opposing parties operate along such lines.
Official definitions
United States
Low-intensity conflict is defined by the United States Army as:
The manual also says: