Armed assault is a tactic employed to expropriate money, liberate prisoners, and liberate explosives, weapons, and ammunition.

There are day and night assaults. The urban guerrilla conducts a daylight assault when the objective cannot be achieved at night. Robbing armored cars carrying money to banks, for example, is done only during daylight hours. Night assault is preferable for the urban guerrilla. Conditions of surprise are most favorable, and darkness facilitates flight as well as cloaking identity. The urban guerrilla, nevertheless, must be prepared to function under all conditions, day as well as night.

The most vulnerable targets for assault are:

1. commercial banks;
2. retail stores and factories, including those that manufacture weapons and ammunition;
3. military bases;
4. police stations and barracks;
5. prisons;
6. government facilities;
7. television stations and newspapers;
8. government logistical centers with military and police vehicles, trucks, armored cars, as well as private armored cars, trains, ships, and airplanes.

Assaults on a particular position are similar in that the fixed target is represented by a geographical area or a building. The tactics vary according to the target. A retail store, factory, military base, supply base, prison, radio station, warehouse used by imperialist companies, etc., all require different assault tactics.

Moving targets, such as armored cars carrying money to banks, military armored cars, trains, ships, and airplanes, require different tactics. So the nature of the operations differs by the type and mobility of the target.

Large vehicles, a parked commercial airliner, and ships lying at anchor, can be seized and their crews and guards held hostage. Airplanes in actual flight can be hijacked and diverted by a guerrilla team or a single guerrilla. It is sometimes advantageous to assault ships and trains while in transit, in order to seize weapons and ammunition, or to prevent reinforcement by government troops.