Two Militants

From BBC News: Gaza strike kills two militants. For some reason, I was scanning the headlines and the word “militants” caught my eye. Is it because the word is more foreign in a headline, or am I just not that observant in the first place? (As in, when’s the last time you saw militants in a headline, as opposed to Gaza strike kills two, or Gaza strike kills two Palestinians.) Really, I think it’s probably because I’m not observant enough, but I want your input. Actually, let’s ask another question: Were they “militants” or “terrorists”?