Srinagar, Mar 17: The authorities have removed 12 more bunkers from different areas of the Srinagar city. The latest bunker-removal process was started Wednesday midnight which continued till Thursday morning.
“All the major bunkers, including residential ones, were removed from the city during the intervening night March 16/17,” CRPF spokesman Prabhakar Tripathi said. “We finished the process Thursday morning. Maximum bunkers were dismantled in the downtown city”, he said.
CRPF said under the fresh move 12 bunkers were removed from the Srinagar city. “The prominent areas from where bunkers were removed lately include Batamaloo, Karan Nagar, Zainakadal, Sarafkadal, Babademb, Nowhatta, Rainawari, and Aalikadal,” Tripathi said.
He said the bunkers near Islamia College and Amar Singh College have also been removed. “The bunkers are being removed as militancy is on the decline. The bunkers were strategically built keeping in view the security situation,” Tripathi said. “Remaining bunkers will be removed in a phased manner keeping in view the overall security situation,” he said.
On February 17, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced removal of more bunkers from the city as part of an exercise launched last year to reduce the footprints of forces in the Valley.

TROOPS RELOCATED, NOT WITHDRAWN
Tripathi said the paramilitary personnel who were staying in the residential bunkers have been relocated to their headquarters. He said the areas wherefrom the bunkers have been removed are still under surveillance.
“We would deploy men, or increase foot patrol or put a bunker vehicle to secure the area,” the official said.
According to sources, 55 battalions of CRPF are presently deployed in Kashmir Valley with 15 battalions in Srinagar city.
Earlier, as per the decision of the unified headquarters, 16 bunkers have already been removed from the valley taking total number to 28.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST