Now that I think about it

There is another thing about war that terrorism doesn't have and that is law. There are laws and believe it or not a moral code that most government stand by when carrying out military action, for example the Geneva Convention. Terrorists will usually target anything that will bring them the most publicity or bring them closer to their end goal so there isn't much that is they won't target. Civilians and children seem to be a favorite target, the Russian elementary school that the Chechyan terrorists targeted got them a bunch of publicity and made the Russian Military and Police look like a bunch of buffoons. Law of Armed Conflict states that civilians must be avoided at all costs and houses of worship and hospitals that aren't being used for direct military action are off limits. Wounded soldiers that cannot fight are off limits and Doctors, Medics and Chaplains are non combatants and are to be treated as such. Terrorists don't live by that same code and if it will bring them publicity they will intentionally choose those targets.

I know we can pick this apart with specific episodes where these codes weren't abided by, even by the United States but as a rule we do our best to follow this code. Just remember, militaries are just an instrument by which GOVERNMENTS engage in war.