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• • The distinction between conventional combatants and mercenaries is a fundamental cornerstone of international humanitarian law (IHL). 

• IHL is a set of rules that seek to limit the effects of armed conflict. It lays out the responsibilities of states and non-state armed groups during an armed conflict. 

• A combatant is typically a member of the armed forces of a party to the conflict, whereas a mercenary is recruited from a third-party state unrelated to the conflict. 
• Mercenaries usually engage in hostilities motivated primarily by personal gain as opposed to virtues of patriotism associated with regular combatants.