(MSNBC) — Islamist militants have taken control of the southern Yemeni coastal town of Shaqra, the third town to fall into their hands, tribal sources and residents said Wednesday.

The tribal sources said government forces had allowed the militants to seize the town with little resistance. The militants, which the government says have ties to al-Qaida, entered the town in cars from another city already under their control.

This new takeover came as Yemeni opposition groups and protest leaders formed a national council on Wednesday to step up pressure on President Ali Abdullah Saleh to relinquish power.

Mass protests calling on Saleh to step down have been roiling Yemen for months. In June, Saleh was badly wounded in an attack on his palace compound.

Also see: Another Yemeni city reportedly falls to AQAP — Long War Journal