The British army begun dismantling one of its most infamous watchtowers in Northern Ireland.
The observation post on top of the Divis Tower flats in west Belfast has been a familiar feature during the Troubles.
West Belfast MLA Fra McCann
For more than two decades, republicans claim it has been used by the British army, which is based on the 18th and 19th floors, to carry out surveillance on hundreds of Catholic homes.
The move, which the army said is likely to take some time, followed an IRA announcement last week that it is to end its armed campaign.
West Belfast MLA Fra McCann, who lives in its shadow, said locals would be happy to see it go under British government plans to scale back security in the North over the next two years.
Mr McCann said: "For 25 years we have lived as a community under surveillance. People will be glad to see the back of it."
Asked about unionist concerns about the pace of demilitarisation, Mr McCann said: "The [IRA] ceasefire has been in place for 11 years.
"The British government promised then that they would move on demilitarisation across the North. Considering it has been 11 years, then I would not consider it too slow."
But Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley yesterday warned that rapid demilitarisation and British Government moves to disband units of the Royal Irish Regiment could further set back the return of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
In the wake of the Provisionals' statement on Thursday, General John de Chastelain's Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) confirmed that re-engagement with the IRA had taken place.
The commission said: "The IICD takes note of the IRA statement and has engaged with its representative with a view to completing its mandate to decommission IRA arms."