By the BBC's Jonathan Paye-Layleh Monrovia

People in northern Liberia are running away from a new upsurge of fighting between government troops and rebels known as Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (Lurd).

Over 6,000 displaced people fled from camps in the town of Belefanai, in Bong County, over the weekend due to fears of rebel attack.

The displaced people, who are originally from nearby Lofa County, had been living in two camps near Belefanai after fleeing previous clashes between Lurd rebels and government troops for control of Lofa County.

Lurd rebels based in northern Liberia have waged a sporadic campaign against the government of President Charles Taylor since mid-2000, but have pushed towards the capital, Monrovia in recent months.

Ghost town

Aid workers with the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) who were working in the area say the movement of the internal refugees was triggered by terrifying sounds of gunfire from the direction of the St Paul's River Bridge that separates Bong and Lofa counties.

President Taylor declared a state of emergency in February

The aid workers said that in recent days, large numbers of people had been crossing from Lofa County's Salayea District to escape fighting between Lurd rebels and government soldiers there.

MSF spokesman Emmanuel Tronc said that fighting had not reached Belefanai when his team left over the weekend. But he said the place was deserted and only military people were there.

He said some of those who fled have already arrived on foot in two camps near the central provincial town of Gbarnga, which is already paying host to some 15,000 displaced people.

MSF says it has established a mobile clinic in the highway town of Weinsu to provide at least safe-drinking water to the trekking people.

Weinsu is situated half-way between Belefanai and Gbarnga.

Efforts to get official confirmation about the latest development from the Ministry of Defense have so far proved futile.

Homeless

But a Liberian soldier on the front line told me that fighting was going on along the banks of the St Paul's River, forcing civilians to flee the town of Gbalatuah situated on the shore of the river.

Another soldier said the rebels have seized at least two vehicles and a VHF radio set from an aid agency in their latest attack, but so far no aid agencies have confirmed this.

In recent weeks Lurd rebels have used the town of Bopolu, 100km north of Monrovia, as a base for attacks on towns in neighbouring counties.

Ten of thousands of people have fled their homes in north-west Liberia.

Most of them are living in camps in the Monrovia area.