Rebels Encircle Capital City: Government Forces Stand Firm

Ethnic Malatian rebels have captured parts of Main Highway 1, cutting off Briktown, the capital city of Brikvania, from the rest of the Kingdom.

Government forces defending Main Highway 1 have pulled back towards the capital city, having suffered heavy casualties.

Government forces are now putting up resistance against rebels advance units in several districts surrounding the capital city. Residents living in Westonia, a Briktown suburb about 5 km from the city centre, reported sounds of heavy gunfire last night.

The new Minister for Defence General Nutyubrick had visited the frontline earlier this morning. When asked by reporters on the state of the Brikvanian military, he said that government forces are now concentrating on defending key urban centres.

"Given the limited equipment and manpower that we have, a new strategy is needed to defeat the enemies. We will defeat them but may not be tomorrow or next week", said General Nutyubrick. He added: "We are now relooking at the strategy for the army, and see how best we can use them".

For the first time since the conflict started, two Brikvanian warplanes bombed the rebels' advance units.

Brikvanian government has also formed People's Defence Unit (PDU) to support the army. These are volunteer units comprising of local residents, and are given 5-day crash training. Some 300 PDU troops are already supporting the over-stretched government forces in Brikdahar.

According to Legonia intelligence services,   the Brikvanian army is currently divided into 3 main force.  Some 3,000 troops are defending Midea, the provincial capital in Malatian Province. Another 22,000 are defending the capital city Briktown, while 10,000 are held in Legolis Province. 

The rebel forces has grown to some 23,000 strong. Some 18,000 are already encircling Briktown, while another 2,500 are deployed near Midea.