The deployment of drones for targeted killings in recent years has sparked intense debates regarding the ethical and legal implications of their deployment in contemporary conflicts. Through an examination of the complexities surrounding the application of fundamental international humanitarian law (IHL) principles - such as differentiating targets and ensuring a proportionate response – and their deployment, the article aims to illuminate the potential legal ramifications of using drones in targeted killing. It also highlights challenges arising from the ambiguous distinction between combatants and non-combatants, compounded by the remote nature of drone missions. The inclusion of a few relevant case studies enhances the analysis, providing practical insights into the nuanced legal landscape and emphasising the pressing need for a comprehensive legal framework tailored to regulate drone usage. This paper stresses the immediate requirement for an effective regulatory structure to ensure adherence to IHL, thereby upholding humanistic principles and reducing the human toll of conflicts.

I. Introduction
II. Legal and Ethical Complexities of Drone Strikes under IHL
    A. General Application of IHL Principles to Drone Strikes inTargeted Killing
    B. Challenges and Controversies
    C. Concerns about the Definition of Combatant and Civilians
III. Case Studies on Recent Targeted Killings Using Drones
    A. The Killing of Qasem Soleimani of Iran by a Drone Strike
    B. Israeli Drone Operations
    C. Drone Strike in the Ukraine-Russia War
IV. Conclusion

• Nehaluddin Ahmad(Professor of Law at Faculty of Law Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, University Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Brunei Darussalam. MA/LL.B./LL.M. (Lucknow U.-India), LL.M. (Strathclyde U.-UK), LL.D. (Meerut U.-India))
• Faizah Rahim(Ph.D. candidate at the University Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Brunei Darussalam)
• Nurulqayyimah Aziz(Ph.D. candidate at the University Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Brunei Darussalam)