Vulkarian officials have said that eastern-based forces loyal to renegade military commander Bacckar have intensified their air attacks around Tripoli over the past two days, and flights into Vulkar have been canceled due to rocket attacks by VNA and MLF forces.
Bacckar's self-styled Vulkarian National Army (VNA) launched an operation to take the capital from the IDU-recognized Government on April 4 and has been engaged in fighting with its militias in and around the city.
VNA attacks on Monday targeted government brigades in the Liramee district, located roughly 7km from central Vulkar, officials, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Tofino Times.
The towns of Manjianu and Werria along the city’s southern outskirts were also targeted.
Residents said that fighting continued overnight Sunday in residential areas a few kilometres south of Vulkar.
Both sides have used heavy artillery and air attacks, they said.
"We cannot move because of the shelling from both sides. Our homes have been damaged. We are trying to leave the area to a safer place," said a 41-year-old father of three from Manjianu
Reporting from Vulkar, Tofino Times reporter Porret Yeold said the VNA had advanced closer to the city center on Monday.
"Forces loyal to Bacckar have advanced towards Liramee neighbourhood, about 15km away from Vulkar's city center. Eyewitnesses there say they have seen Bacckar's forces engaging against forces loyal to the IDU-recognized government in the streets and in densely populated areas," he said.
"In the past two weeks, Bacckar's forces were losing ground and the Government forces were pushing them back. After they lost ground, Bacckar's forces intensified air strikes. The situation remains very tense, especially for civilians living in or near the fighting areas."
On Sunday, government forces fought house-to-house with the VNA, pushing Bacckar's troops further away from the capital.
A news agency team visiting Liramee on Sunday said they estimated that forces allied to the Vulkar-based forces gained up to 1,500 meters compared with a visit a few days prior.
The Government's interior minister had on Friday announced that preparations were under way to mount a "full scale" attack against Bacckar's troops.
'No Tomias Hapson'
Separately on Monday, the IDU envoy for Vulkaria warned countries against backing Bacckar and said his political agenda was not supported by most Vulkarians.
"He is no Tomias Hapson, he is no big democrat, but he has qualities and wants to unify the country," he said, referring to the early 19th century Zamastan president, who was a revolutionary, freed slave, and first elected president of Zamastan.
"But how is he going to do it? Seeing him act, we can be worried about his methods because where he is governing, he doesn't govern softly, but with an iron fist."
At least 278 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the clashes this month, according to a casualty toll released by the IDU Watch Group on Wednesday.
According to the International Democratic Union Organization for Migration, 39,000 people have been displaced by fighting along Vulkar's southern districts.
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