ADEN - Al-Qaeda militants swept into the Yemen town of Rada overnight and overran it within hours, marking a significant advance by the extremists towards the capital Sanaa, officials said on Monday. The takeover of Rada, 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of Sanaa, was the latest in a series of towns and cities -- until now in the south and east -- to fall as Al-Qaeda takes advantage of a weakened central government reeling from months of protests. Several sources in the town said more than 1,000 Al-Qaeda gunmen had participated in the invasion of Rada, which lies within striking distance of a strategic highway.