Equanterian Forces Resisted Malatian Assaults

An Equanterian soldier pulling a wounded troop during a heavy battle outside De Quan yerterday.

Equanterian forces defending the capital city of De Quan have repelled several Malatian assaults on the city yesterday.

Radio Equanter announced that heavy fightings are reported on all fronts, as Malatian forces laying a siege on De Quan tried to break down the defensive lines around the city.

Heavy fighting started around 6 am yesterday's morning when Malatian artillery and warplanes pounded De Quan heavily, killing some 200 innocent civilians. Equanterian anti-aircraft guns and surface to air missile batteries, backed by Kingdom of Lego air defence assets managed to shoot down 7 Malatian warplanes. 

After 2 hours of artillery bombardment, Malatian infantry and armoured units attacked the city from three directions. Equanterian troops resisted the assaults, killing some 1,000 Malatian troops within the first 1 hour of the battle. Several further attacks were made by Malatian forces between 2 pm and 8 pm, but all these attacks were repulsed by the defenders.

NARTO forces defending De Quan are made up of 15,000 Equanterian troops and some 6,500 Kingdom of Lego commandos from the Lion Brigade. Facing them are some 70,000 Malatian troops led by Brigadier General Nutwhobrix.

At the political front, the United Nations had called for a peaceful settlement in the ongoing conflict. But the Malatian Ambassador to the UN, General Gungho, told the Security Council to mind their own business. "Who are you to tell the Malatian people under the leadership of the most excellent and well-loved leadership Chancellor to behave. We are a bunch of great people and must be respected as a regional power," shouted General Gungho during a late night exchange with other ambassadors at the Security Council.

In other news, the Kingdom of Fabu claimed NARTO forces from the 1st and 2nd Fabu Divisions could not enter into Equanter because of red tapes. "We are stuck at the border crossing because the Equanterian immigration do not allow us to enter as they have not received any instruction yet from their HQ, " said a Fabu army officer near the border checkpoint.

An Equanterian immigration officer at the border said, "We have never cleared any tanks or military vehicles here, so we must wait for instruction from our HQ."  

When told that the Fabu troops were on the way to help fight against the Malatia and should be allowed into Equanter, the Equanterian immigration officer replied: "I know there is a war going on. But I still need instruction man. If my paperwork is bad, I will not be promoted."