Introductionguerrilla warfare (gərĭlˈə) [key] [Span., = little
war], fighting by groups of irregular troops (guerrillas) within
areas occupied by the enemy. When guerrillas obey the laws of
conventional warfare they are entitled, if captured, to be
treated as ordinary prisoners of war; however, they are often
executed by their captors. The tactics of guerrilla warfare
stress deception and ambush, as opposed to mass confrontation,
and succeed best in an irregular, rugged, terrain and with a
sympathetic populace, whom guerrillas often seek to win over by
propaganda, reform, and terrorism. Guerrilla warfare, also known
as unconventional, irregular, or asymmetric warfare, has played
a significant role in modern history, especially when waged by
Communist insurgencies in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. The
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