The Centre on Thursday extended the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in three districts and four police station localities for a further six months.
The notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts of Arunachal Pradesh and four police stations — Namsai and Mahadevpur in Namsai, Roing in Lower Dibang Valley and Sunpura in Lohit district have been declared as "disturbed areas" under the AFSPA.
The decision came after a "further review of the law and order situation" in three districts and in the area falling within the jurisdiction of four police stations bordering Assam.
The notification said the Union Home Ministry took the decision exercising its powers conferred under section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.
The extension of AFSPA will be for six months till March 31 next year.
In April 2018, the area under AFSPA in Arunachal Pradesh was reduced from 16 police stations areas bordering Assam to eight police stations besides Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts. AFSPA was further withdrawn from four police station areas later.
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