The term ‘assassin’ originates from the Arabic ‘hashshashin’ which referred to a group of militant Islamic killers in the medieval Middle East. In these medieval times, the ‘assassin’ would go alone and commonly kill by gouging victims, including bodyguards with a knife or sword before vanishing into the crowd. The first assassins were feared by society as they are by most today as a result of their ‘hidden in plain sight’ way of life.

The arrival of new advanced and highly effective long-range weapons and firearms means that in modern times, it can be difficult to prevent a determined hired killer. In terms of modernization, being able to fire on targets from farther away greatly increases the assassins’ potential survival rate.

So, we can start to paint a picture of the modern derivative of the medieval hashshashin as a lone, expert killer and firearms user. Yet, wielding a gun is not the only part of being a hired gun. Today’s assassin also has to think about exit routes, personal safety and discretion.   
In terms of escape routes, most modern hitman will not enter a building without scouting the location first to find the most effective exfiltration strategies. Without a doubt, it’s good to be handy at reading maps and architectural schematics.

Bold sniper tactics can give assassins concealment and most likely an easy getaway and some prefer that when it comes to discretion. However, being a sniper requires hours of training so some prefer a more personal approach which may involve poisoning or suffocation. Still some popular techniques waive discretion and attract a great deal more attention, particularly the use of explosives.

A wave of claims were made against the Russian authorities who, in 2006 were thought to have passed a lethal dose of radioactive polonium-210 to Alexander Litvinenko. This toxin was allegedly passed to him in aerosol and sprayed directly onto his food. After telling of his persecution in Russia, Litvinenko, a former KGB agent had been granted asylum in the UK six years earlier. He gave a statement accusing contemporary President of Russia Vladimir Putin of involvement in the poisoning. This shows that poisoning does not always equal discretion.

Finally, personal safety is a massive issue for all assassins as they can not accept work or may be caught by police if they themselves are injured. Basic techniques for avoiding self damage include regular PT, wearing protective body armour, choosing good exit lines and strategies.