The Centre has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (Afspa) in eight districts of Nagaland and three districts of Arunachal Pradesh for six months after a review of the law-and-order situation in the two northeastern states.

Afspa, which was enacted by Parliament in 1958 to give security forces certain special powers to deal with the Naga armed insurgency, gives the forces extraordinary powers to search, arrest and shoot.

In a notification, the Union home ministry said the central government had declared eight districts and 21 police station areas in five other districts of Nagaland as "disturbed areas" for a period of six months with effect from April 1, 2024, by exercising the powers conferred by Section 3 of Afspa.

The districts and police station areas have been declared as "disturbed areas" again under Section 3 of Afspa for six months with effect from October 1, 2024, unless withdrawn earlier, the notification issued on Wednesday night said.

The districts in Nagaland where Afspa was reimposed are Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek and Peren. The areas in Nagaland falling within the jurisdiction of Khuzama, Kohima North, Kohima South, Zubza and Kezocha police stations in Kohima district; Mangkolemba, Mokokchung-I, Longtho, Tuli, Longchem and Anaki "C" police stations in Mokokchung district; Yanglok police station in Longleng district are also declared "disturbed".

In addition, Bhandari, Champang and Ralan police stations in Wokha district; and Ghatashi, Pughoboto, Satakha, Suruhuto, Zunheboto and Aghunato police stations in Zunheboto district of Nagaland are also declared "disturbed" under Afspa.

In a separate notification, the home ministry said that under the Afspa, the Centre had declared Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Assam as "disturbed area" with effect from April 1, 2024.

It said a further review of the law and order situation in Arunachal Pradesh has been undertaken. “Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering the state of Assam, are declared as 'disturbed'," the notification said.