Out of the Mountains: The Coming Age of the Urban Guerrilla

A mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle (MRAP), a few minutes before the ambush in Dara-i Nur District, Afghanistan, September 10, 2009. Photo by David Kilcullen.

Feral City-- African Union peacekeepers drive past shops and power lines on the streets of Mogadishu, June 2012. Photo by David Kilcullen.

Competitive control-- Somali clan militia at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Mogadishu, June 2012. Photo by David Kilcullen.

Competitive control-- a Somali building destroyed by militants as punishment for its owners failure to pay insurgent taxes. Photo taken by David Kilcullen.

Hindu Kush, Afghanistan-- the remote landlocked mountain environment has become the default for many western militaries, diplomats, and development agencies since 2001. Photo taken by David Kilcullen.

Competitive control-- African Union troops with weapons, radios, and ammunition captured from al-Shabaab during the battle of Afgoye, June 2012. Photo taken by David Kilcullen.