BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Islamic extremists seized control of the strategic town of Douentza on Saturday, moving much closer to government-held territory in central Mali, according to witnesses in the town and a rebel spokesman.

Residents say that early in the morning they saw a convoy of pickup trucks carrying bearded men enter the town, located about 500 miles (800 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Bamako. While far from the capital, Douentza is only 190 kilometers (120) miles from Mopti, which marks the line-of-control held by the Malian military.

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