GHALANAI, Aug 1: Militants have reduced the number of combatants occupying a mosque and its adjacent shrine in the Lakaro tehsil area on Wednesday after holding negotiations with tribal elders, residents and officials said.

“The number of men guarding the mosque and the shrine today is not more than 20 and they are not heavily armed,” an eyewitness said.

Political authorities attributed the reduction to the successful talks held with the militant commanders holed up inside the mosque. They were optimistic that the situation would soon normalise.

A spokesman for the militants Usman Gurbaz confirmed that they had reduced their strength at the shrine, terming the move a tactical retreat. He said talks were still continuing and had not reached any conclusion so far. He said the gunmen would be called back to reinforce their positions if the talks failed.

Residents said the local Taliban have appointed a madressah teacher Qari Daud to teach holy Quran to children at the mosque. He formally took up his job on Wednesday and at least 55 children came to receive their lessons, they said.

Usman Gurbaz said that they would soon make arrangements to provide food and lodging to at least 300 children at the madressah. He said that besides Islamic education, the children would also be given ‘modern education’.

Masked gunmen had forcibly occupied the mosque and the adjacent shrine of Haji Sahib Turangzai in the Qaziabad village of Lakaro tehsil on Saturday night. They renamed the mosque as ‘Lal Masjid’ and announced that they would establish a madressah called Jamia Hafsa Umme Hassan at the site.