text: Conduct of Hostilities
  * Participants in a levée en masse;
  * Persons belonging to non-state armed groups (see paragraphs 2-61 through 2-65); and
  * Leaders whose responsibilities include the operational command and control of the armed forces
  of a State or of a non-State armed group (see paragraphs 2-66 through 2-67).
  PERSONS BELONGING TO NON-STATE ARMED GROUPS
  In some cases, formal or direct information may indicate an individual has membership in an armed
  group (for example, information that an individual has sworn allegiance to the group). This may include—
  * Adopting a rank, title, or style of communication;
  * Taking an oath of loyalty to the group or the group’s leader;
  * Wearing a uniform or other clothing, adornments, or body markings that identify members of the
  group; or
  * Possessing documents issued by or belonging to the group identifying the individual as a member,
  such as an identity card or membership list.
  Other Indicia of Membership
  Although in some cases members of non-State armed groups may wear distinctive emblems and
  devices, in many cases members of these groups seek to conceal their affiliation with that group. In such
  cases, the following may indicate that a person is a member of a non-State armed group:
  * Acting at the direction of the group or within its “command structure”;
  * Performing a function for the group that is analogous to a function normally performed by a
  member of a State’s armed forces;
  * Taking a direct part in hostilities, with the frequency, intensity, and duration of such participation
  as important factors in assessing the strength of this indicator;
  * Accessing facilities, such as safe-houses, training camps, or bases used by the group that outsiders
  would not be permitted to access;
  * Traveling along specific clandestine routes used by those groups; or
  * Traveling with members of the group in remote locations or while the group conducts operations.
  Functional or Constructive Membership
  Some non-State armed groups might not be organized with a formal command structure, as generally
  is required for POW status. Such groups may lack a formal distinction between those members and non-
  members who nonetheless participate in the hostile activities of the group. An individual who is integrated
  into the group may be deemed to be functionally or constructively part of the group, even if not formally a
  member of the group. The integration of the individual into the non-State armed group and the inference that
  the individual shares the group’s intention to commit hostile acts distinguishes such an individual from others
  who are merely sympathetic to the group’s goals but have not taken steps to otherwise integrate with the
  group.
  The following may indicate that an individual is functionally or constructively a member of a non-
  State armed group:
  * Following directions issued by the group or its leaders;
  * Taking a direct part in hostilities on behalf of the group on a sufficiently frequent or intensive
  basis; or
  * Performing tasks on behalf of the group similar to those provided in a combat, combat support, or
  combat service support role in the armed forces of a State.
  Dissociation or Renunciation
  A person may not be made the object of attack based on affiliation with a non-State armed group if
  that affiliation clearly has been severed. Relevant factors that may be used in determining when an individual
  has unambiguously ceased to be a member of a non-State armed group may include: