CRPF Left Firdous cinema

After 2 decades of occupation, CRPF vacates Firdous cinema

After removing at least 38 makeshift bunkers  from Srinagar last year, CRPF today officially vacated Firdous cinema building in Hawal area of old city.

The cinema was under the occupation of different security forces since the eruption of armed militancy across the state. CRPF officially said a troop cut of one more battalion has been done in Srinagar city.

Suspected militants had hurled grenades on cinema houses dozens of times and during a fidayeen attack in 2005 two militants were killed in the premises of the cinema.

On November 23, 2005 two militants and three Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed when the CRPF foiled the militant bid to storm their camp in the Firdous cinema. A member of the fidayeen squad was killed when CRPF guards opened fire to prevent them from storming their camp.

The cinema was first occupied by Border Security Forces (BSF) way back in 1993 and was handed over to CRPF in 2003 during replacements of forces across the Srinagar city.

Public Relations Officer CRPF, Mohsin Shahidi, told Kashmir Times that a troop cut of one more battalion has been made in Srinagar. “162 CRPF battalion has been withdrawn from the area and relocated to Kupwara. It will replace 152 CRPF battalion there in Kupwara,” he said and added that he has no information about any troop withdrawal in future. “These are decisions from higher ups. Yet there is no twinkle about any further withdrawal. We handed over the cinema to local police and civil administrations officially,” PRO said.

Here it a needs a mention that after the last years massive protest rage against the civilian killings, at least 38 bunkers were removed from various parts of Srinagar city.

The bunkers of CRPF  were removed from the densely populated Rainawari, Rajouri Kadal, Karan Nagar, Batmaloo, Barzulla and some other areas of the city.

Removing of bunkers was part of the 8-point CBMs announced by the Centre on September 25 last year after the massive unrest across the valley. The CBMs were meant to provide relief and instill a sense of security and confidence in the people of the state.