in opposition to what units may lack in either strength or weapons capabilities. The fundamentals of muzzle awareness and weapons safety are of the utmost importance given the propensity for fratricide due to the confined spaces, as well as the limited avenues of approach. Urban warfare training Armed forces seek to train their units for those circumstances in which they are to fight: built up, urban areas are no exception. Several countries have created simulated urban training zones. The British Army has established an "Afghan village" within its Stanford Battle Area and the French Army has built several urban training areas in its CENZUB facility. During World War II, as preparation for the Allied invasion of Normandy, the population of the English village of Imber was evacuated compulsorily to provide an urban training area for United States forces. The facility has been retained, despite efforts by the displaced people to recover their homes, and was used for British Army training for counter-insurgency operations in Northern Ireland. A newer purpose-built training area has been created at Copehill Down, some 3 miles from Imber. See also Battleplan (documentary TV series) Civilian casualty ratio Military urbanism Mouse-holing Operation Urban Warrior Second Battle of Fallujah Siege warfare Urban guerrilla warfare Urban terrain Notes Citations References External links Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain (MOUT), Marine Corps Warfighting Publication (MCWP) 3–35.3 – US Marine Corps guidance on urban warfare Small Wars Journal – Urban operations, reading guide. Urban warfare in Sub-Saharan Africa in 1970–1981: inventing the rules of the game. Sniper warfare