War: Malatia Strikes Equanter & Kingdom of Lego

Malatia had launched the much awaited military offensive against regional countries early this morning.

At precisely 2 am this morning, Radio Malatia read a statement from the Office of Chancellor Klump, declaring war on Equanter and the Kingdom of Lego.

The statement read: "All attempts to establish peace through negotiations with the Kingdom of Lego and Equanter have failed.  Previous peace agreement under General Hytler is useless. As ethnic Malatians in Equanter are facing a genocide, we have no choice but to declare war on Equanter and its backer, the Kingdom of Lego."

At the same time as the war message was broadcast through Radio Malatia, thousands of troops from the Army of Malatia (ARMT) have crossed into Equanter.  A brief battle took place near the border checkpoint before Equanterian troops defending the border crossing retreated towards Smallville, a small town located 5 km from the border.

There were reports of landings made by Malatian troops along beaches located in Equanter's Eastern Province. If the reports are true, Malatian troops are making a pincer movement towards the provincial capital of Maname with land forces coming from the east and naval forces coming from the north. To meet the threat from the sea, the Kingdom of Lego Navy has dispatched two large warships, HMS Repel and HMS Prince of Wale, to the Northern Sea. 

Malatian warships had also attempted to close in on the Port of De Quan, but two of the Malatian naval vessels were damaged by Equanterian coastal defenses. 

Warplanes from Malatia also took part in the offensive, bombing key Equanterian military installations and equipment in the early hours of the war. Some 50 Malatian warplanes had also attempted to bomb Legotown too but they were repelled by fierce air defence resistance.  14 Malatian aircrafts were shot down by the Kingdom of Lego air defences in the first 24 hours of the war.