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Why do guerrilla fighters often avoid open battles with conventional armies?

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Shiʿi militia fighter in Iraq — guerrilla warfare A masked Iraqi Shiʿi militia fighter dashing across a street, carrying a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Baghdad, August 7, 2004.

Guerrilla fighters typically avoid open battles with conventional armies because they are generally fewer in number and possess less powerful weaponry than their opponents. Engaging in direct, conventional warfare would often lead to defeat against a militarily superior force.1

Instead, guerrilla warfare is a form of asymmetrical warfare that relies on tactics such as ambush, sabotage, and hit-and-run operations. By avoiding the "solid" and attacking the "hollow," guerrillas use mobility and surprise to harass the enemy, cut communication lines, and wear down the opposing force's will to sustain the costs of the war.213

This strategy is often described as a "little war" where the primary goal is not necessarily to win a decisive battlefield victory, but to persist until the enemy is forced to seek peace or withdraw. As noted by Henry Kissinger, "the guerrilla wins if he does not lose; the conventional army loses if it does not win". By remaining elusive and avoiding large, well-established bases, guerrillas prevent conventional armies from effectively utilizing their technological advantages, such as aerial bombardment.13