Militias on the Rise in Mali

Citizens are pushing back against Islamist influence.

MOPTI, Mali, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Due to a lack of Mali military presence in the Islamist-controlled north of the country, citizen militias are seeking to take back their lands, officials said.

About 4,000 young men and women are training in Mopti, Mali, the northernmost town that is not controlled by the Ansar Dine Islamist group, which enforces a hard-edged brand of Islam and Shariah Law, The New York Times reported Monday.