AFSPA Extended in Manipur for Six Months as Fresh Killings Hit Kamjong Near the Myanmar Border
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 in Manipur for six months from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, unless it is withdrawn earlier. The whole state is again a "disturbed area" (an area where the government says the police alone cannot keep order).
Areas under 13 police stations in 5 valley districts (Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching) are kept out of AFSPA. These include the Imphal, Lamphel, City, Singjamei, Patsoi, Wangoi, Porompat, Heingang, Irilbung, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Nambol and Kakching police stations.
In Nagaland, the MHA declared 9 full districts and 21 police station areas in 5 other districts as "disturbed areas" for six months from 1 October 2026.
On 25 September 2026, four Naga villagers were killed in Kamjong district, which lies on the India-Myanmar border. A Tangkhul Naga civil body said two were shot near Pilong village and two were taken across the border into Myanmar and killed. It blamed armed Kuki groups, including some based in Myanmar.
Two days earlier, about 41 houses and churches of Liangmai Naga villagers were set on fire in the Makui area of Kangpokpi district, where Naga and Kuki communities both claim land.
The MHA noted that the situation stays tense, with firing continuing in the "fringe" areas where the valley meets the hills, and with armed groups taking part in the violence.
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958
AFSPA is a law passed by Parliament in 1958. It gives the Army and other central armed forces special powers in places that are officially declared "disturbed areas". In these places, soldiers can search, arrest without a warrant and, in some cases, use force even to the point of causing death. The idea is to help the armed forces act fast when the situation is beyond the control of the local police.
The MHA used its Section 3 power to declare Manipur a disturbed area for another six months from 1 October 2026, while keeping 13 valley police stations outside the law. The fresh killings in Kamjong and the arson in Kangpokpi show why the government says the state still needs the armed forces to have these powers.
India-Myanmar Border and the Free Movement Regime (FMR)
India and Myanmar share a long land border that runs through thick forests and hills in the Northeast. Many tribes, such as the Nagas, Kukis, Chins and Mizos, live on both sides of this border and are related to each other. To respect these family and trade ties, India allowed people living near the border to cross it without a passport or visa. This arrangement is called the Free Movement Regime (FMR).
Kamjong district sits on the Myanmar border, and two of the four victims were reportedly taken into Myanmar and killed. This shows how an open, hilly border and armed groups on the other side can feed violence inside Manipur, which is why border control is central to the debate on FMR and fencing.
Manipur Ethnic Conflict: Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga Communities
Manipur is a small state in Northeast India with three main groups of people: the Meiteis, the Kuki-Zo tribes and the Naga tribes. Each group lives mostly in its own area and has its own worries about land, jobs and identity. Since 3 May 2023, clashes between these groups have killed hundreds of people and forced tens of thousands to leave their homes. To understand Manipur, you have to understand the map, the laws on land and the history of each community.
The killing of four Naga villagers in Kamjong and the burning of Naga homes in Kangpokpi show that the Manipur conflict is no longer only between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo. Old Naga-Kuki land disputes in the hills are flaring up again. This is the backdrop against which the Centre has extended AFSPA across Manipur for six more months.
- AFSPA extended in Manipur: 6 months, 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
- Excluded from AFSPA in Manipur: 13 police stations in 5 districts (Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching)
- Nagaland: 9 districts plus 21 police station areas in 5 districts declared "disturbed areas" from 1 October 2026
- Four Naga civilians killed in Kamjong district on 25 September 2026
- About 41 houses and churches burnt in Makui area, Kangpokpi district
- AFSPA Section 3: declaring a disturbed area; Section 4: special powers; Section 6: prior Central sanction for prosecution
- India-Myanmar border: 1,643 km; Manipur's share: 398 km
- FMR: started 1968; 16 km limit from 2004; border pass limited to 10 km since December 2024