Abdul-Jalil Khalil, a leader of the main Shia political bloc, said on Sunday the opposition was considering the monarchy‘s offer for dialogue, but he noted that no direct talks were yet under way. Seven opposition groups said they would meet later in the day to co-ordinate a response.

They were responding after Bahrain‘s crown prince, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also the deputy supreme commander of the country‘s armed forces, appealed for calm and political dialogue in a brief address on state TV on Friday.

On his orders, troops and armoured vehicles withdrew from Pearl Roundabout on Saturday, which they had taken over on Thursday after riot police staged a night-time attack on a sit-in by protesters, killing four people and wounding 231.