MONROVIA, Liberia ? Liberia’s embattled president rejected his indictment on war crimes charges and claimed Thursday his government fended off a coup attempt while rebels advanced on the country’s capital.

Gunfire outside the capital, Monrovia, sent thousands of panicked people fleeing, with soldiers turning back refugees who descended on the city seeking sanctuary.

The surge in tensions came the day after the announcement of President Charles Taylor’s indictment on war-crimes charges by a U.N.-sponsored court. Taylor was accused of “bearing the greatest responsibility” for a 10-year terror campaign in which tens of thousands of people were killed, raped, kidnapped or maimed in neighboring Sierra Leone.

Taylor denounced the indictment Thursday, saying, “To call the president of Liberia a war criminal? God himself will not permit it.”

Taylor also announced the alleged coup attempt while speaking to journalists in Monrovia. He had returned home overnight from nearby Ghana, site of new peace talks between Liberia’s government and rebels, who have taken about 60 percent of the country during their three-year campaign.

The rebels want to oust Taylor, a warlord-turned-president blamed by the United Nations for involvement in many of West Africa’s conflicts.

While in Ghana, Taylor escaped a push by war-crimes prosecutors for his arrest on the new indictment.

Taylor said the coup attempt was launched Wednesday, during his rare trip outside the country, by “certain officials” supported by diplomats.

Taylor said he accepted the resignation of Vice President Moses Blah because of the coup attempt. He also said he would ask his entire Cabinet to resign to “open the road to a government of national unity.”

“We are going to remain on course not for me, but for the Liberian people,” Taylor vowed, adding, “We want to continue to ask for your prayers.”

Blah was being detained at the home of a Liberian general and two of his bodyguards were under arrest elsewhere, a senior government official said on condition of anonymity.

Authorities gave no details of the alleged coup attempt. Its disclosure came with tensions building in the city over fears that fighting was nearing Monrovia.