sniper alley

A sniper alley is a street or route where civilians and soldiers are exposed to gunfire from hidden shooters, forcing people to run across open ground or avoid the area entirely.

The term gained prominence during the Siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, when a major boulevard became deadly to cross: We sprinted across sniper alley between the burned-out cars.

The phrase now applies to any urban corridor controlled by hostile fire.