This is shocking - but as we saw at the Bundy ranch, being armed and having the intelligence and knowledge into their proper roll and how to use them are two entirely different things. The Army has been using arms for century’s and understands this. Just giving a rife to a civilian is not the same has having an Army.
The military strategy rule you are referring to assumes comparable numbers of opposition- wherein superior intelligence, training, etc. are usually decisive. Korean War showed what happens when that assumption is proven to be false. One thousand to one ratios as are present here are likely to negate normal military advantages - if the will to fight is strong.