Islamic militants capture Konna; village long held by Mali military BAMAKO, Mali, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Islamic militants seized a village long held by Mali government forces, dealing a "critical" blow to the army, an officer said. The militants advanced into government-held territory Thursday, overrunning Konna, a village in the central area of the country that had marked the outer limit of the Malian Army's control after losing the northern region to rebels in April, The New York Times reported. The Malian military officer, reached by phone in Bamako, confirmed the retreat of Mali forces and the loss of Konna and called the situation "critical" for the army. "It's a very serious situation, very dangerous," the officer told the Times. Militants now threaten a key airfield near the town of Sevare, which is home to an army base. Sevare is about 10 miles from the river city of Mopti, the last major town controlled by the Malian government. "The Malian Army has retreated to Sevare," the officer said. We need the help of everybody to save Sevare. Sanda Ould Boumana, a spokesman for the Islamic attackers, said: "We have taken the town of Konna. We control Konna, and the Malian army has fled. We have pushed them back. The Islamic militants have been accused of war crimes and attempting to impose Sharia religious law, fomenting fears that the region could become a hub for al-Qaida-linked activity, the BBC said. Islamic attackers and Tuareg rebel allies took control of northern Mali last spring. Since then, the United Nations and Mali's neighbors have been debating and planning a military campaign to retake the north by force, if necessary. Officials said the loss of Konna has raised serious questions about the plan, tentatively approved by the U.N. Security Council last month, the Times said. The U.N. Security Council met Thursday in emergency session to discuss the situation, issuing a statement expressing concern and restating its determination to enforce previous resolutions on ending the crisis. "We ask the Malian rebel groups to abide by Security Council resolutions 2071 and 2085 calling for them to cut off all ties with terrorist organizations," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said. The Malian government and rebel groups were expected to meet for peace talks in Ouagadougo, Burkina Faso's capital, on Jan. 21, a U.N. release said.