Snipers could be soldiers who remove important opposition personnel and targets of opportunity in times of war, mercenary assassins who kill unwitting marks from a distance, or part of a security force trained as counter-snipers to protect important social or political figures. Patience, steady aim, and cunning were some of the attributes that were needed for a sniper. A sniper, sharpshooter, or marksman, was an individual trained to shoot an opponent from a distance, often hundreds to a thousand meters away, and often from a concealed location.
