New Delhi/Imphal, September 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), for another six months in most parts of Manipur, nine districts and specified areas of Nagaland, and three districts and certain police station jurisdictions in Arunachal Pradesh.
According to separate MHA notifications, the extensions will take effect from October 1 following a review of the law and order situation in the affected areas.
In Manipur, AFSPA has been extended across the state except for areas under the jurisdiction of 13 police stations in five districts — Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching. These five districts are located in the Imphal Valley region.
The extension has been issued under Section 3 of the AFSPA, which empowers the government to declare an area “disturbed” and provides armed forces operating in such areas with specified powers, including powers to search and arrest and, under the law, use force in circumstances covered by the Act.
Manipur has witnessed prolonged ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities since May 3, 2023, with more than 260 deaths reported since the violence began.
In Nagaland, AFSPA has been extended in nine districts — Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Meluri. The notification also covers 21 police station areas in five other districts — Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, Wokha and Zunheboto — which have been declared “disturbed areas” for six months.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the law has been extended in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, besides areas under Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district, bordering Assam.
The government said the law and order situations in the affected areas of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh were also reviewed before the extensions were notified.
Various organisations in Manipur and other northeastern states have periodically protested against the continuation of AFSPA and demanded its withdrawal.
AFSPA has also been gradually withdrawn from several northeastern states over the years. According to the source, it was lifted from Tripura in 2015 and Meghalaya in 2018, while it has not been in force in Mizoram since the 1980s.
FOLLOW NOW
