Hizbullah / Hezbollah (just the group)

[Tom Odom]

It is exceptionally rare for irregulars or guerillas to " transition" or "evolve" into full-fledged conventional military operations against a modern, first-rate opponent. Generally, guerilla forces beat state opponents by becoming more effective at guerilla warfare and causing a psychological and moral collapse of the state's will to resist; and only after seizing power, do the new rulers transform their guerilla fighters into professional soldiers...

look at the Rwandan Patriotic Front/Army 1990-1994

Best
Tom

[zenpundit]

My proviso was " against a modern, first-rate opponent" - I'm not sure the Rwandan Army made it to a level of competence comparable with say, South Africa much less a NATO state or great power.

You know the details on the ground there -how far apart in qualitative terms were the Rwandan military and the Patriotic Front ?