In war , the word is used to describe the activity of an individual or group not associated with the military of the parties at war , such as a foreign agent or an indigenous supporter , in particular when actions result in the destruction or damaging of a productive or vital facility , such as equipment , factories , dams , public services , storage plants or logistic routes . Prime examples of such sabotage are the events of Black Tom and the Kingsland Explosion . Like spies , saboteurs who conduct a military operation in civilian clothes or enemy uniforms behind enemy lines are subject to prosecution and criminal penalties instead of detention as prisoners of war . It is common for a government in power during war or supporters of the war policy to use the term loosely against opponents of the war . Similarly , German nationalists spoke of a stab in the back having cost them the loss of World War I
Black Tom
Black Tom explosion
Sabotage