The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has notified Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts and four police stations — Namsai and Mahadevpur police stations in Namsai district, Roing police station in Lower Dibang Valley district, Sunpura police station in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh — bordering Assam, as 'disturbed area' under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) for a further six months until September 30.

In a recent notification, the ministry has said that "whereas the central government in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (28 of 1958) had declared the Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts of Arunachal Pradesh and the area falling within the jurisdiction of four police stations in the districts of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam as 'disturbed area' vide notification S.O.3449(E) dated 01.10.2020."

"And whereas a further review of the law and order situation in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts of Arunachal Pradesh and in the area falling within the jurisdiction of four police stations in districts of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering the state of Assam has been undertaken.

"Now, therefore, Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of the following four police stations in other districts of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering the State of Assam, are declared as 'disturbed area' under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 up to 30.09.2021 wef 01.04.2021, unless withdrawn earlier," the ministry added. (ANI)