Appalling ill-usage limiting second of army fighters (9)
I believe the answer is:
guerillas
'fighters' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being plural nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'appalling ill-usage limiting second of army' is the wordplay.
'appalling' indicates anagramming the letters (an appalling spelling of the letters).
'limiting' indicates putting letters inside.
'second of army' becomes 'r' (2nd letter of 'army').
'ill'+'usage'='illusage'
'illusage' is an anagram of 'gueillas'.
'gueillas' enclosing 'r' is 'GUERILLAS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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