French and Malian troops have restored government control over the Saharan town of Timbuktu as they continue a fast-moving offensive against al Qaeda-backed fighters in Mali.
Islamist rebels have pulled back northwards to avoid relentless French air strikes that have destroyed their bases, vehicles and weapons.
A Malian military source said the combined forces reached "the gates of Timbuktu" late on Saturday night without meeting resistance from the insurgents.
Troops were working to secure the town - a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with ancient mosques and monuments - to flush out any Islamist fighters hiding among the population.
French and Malian troops have retaken Timbuktu and Gao in the north The source told Reuters: "Timbuktu is delicate, you can't just go in like that."
On Saturday, the French-Malian offensive recaptured Gao - one of the three major northern towns occupied by the Tuareg and Islamist rebels last year.
The third town, Kidal, remains in rebel hands.
The US and Europe are backing the UN-mandated Mali operation as a counterstrike against the threat of radical jihadists using the West African state's inhospitable Saharan desert as a launching pad for international attacks.
Insurgents fighters have destroyed ancient shrines sacred to moderate Sufi Muslims in Timbuktu - provoking international outrage.
They had also imposed severe sharia law - including amputations for thieves and stoning of adulterers.
The swift military action by France over the past two weeks has embarrassed African leaders who have struggled to field a force to restore the Mali government in the north.
France sent 2,500 troops to the north African country, along with warplanes and other equipment.
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