Imphal: Centre renews AFSPA across Manipur as security forces detain insurgent cadres
The Ministry of Home Affairs renewed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act across most of Manipur for another six months starting October 1, 2026, citing continued volatility in fringe areas of the state that has been under President's Rule since February. On October 12, 2026, security forces and Manipur Police conducted coordinated counter-insurgency operations across several districts, making arrests in Imphal East and Imphal West alongside a fatal security exchange in Kakching. The dual developments underscore the enduring security challenges facing the state as ethnic tensions stemming from May 2023 continue to shape governance and law enforcement.
🗳️ AFSPA extended across Manipur for six months starting October 1
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification on September 25, 2026 extending the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act across most of Manipur for six months effective October 1, 2026, with the order running until March 31, 2027 unless withdrawn earlier. The notification was issued under Section 3 of the AFSPA, 1958, following a review of the prevailing law-and-order situation. Officials cited continuing volatility in the state, describing intermittent firing in fringe areas along the Bishnupur-Churachandpur, Imphal East-Kangpokpi-Imphal West and Jiribam corridors as the basis for the renewal. Thirteen police stations across five Imphal-valley districts were exempted from the notification, maintaining the established carve-out for densely populated Meitei-majority areas. The exempted stations cover Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching districts and include Imphal, Lamphel, City, Singjamei, Patsoi, Wangoi, Porompat, Heingang, Irilbung, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Nambol and Kakching police stations. The same MHA round also issued AFSPA notifications for select areas of Nagaland, covering nine districts, and for Arunachal Pradesh, where Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts along with select police station areas in Namsai district were notified. Manipur has been under President's Rule since February 13, 2026, following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh amid prolonged ethnic tensions that first erupted in May 2023 and have continued to shape the security landscape of the state since. [1]
Security forces arrest insurgent cadres and drug peddlers across Imphal districts
Security forces and Manipur Police conducted coordinated counter-insurgency operations across several districts on October 12, 2026, arresting active cadres of proscribed militant outfits along with two suspected drug peddlers as part of the same sweep. Operations in the twin Imphal districts produced two arrests in Imphal East and four in Imphal West. Authorities recovered arms, ammunition and communication devices in the course of the operations across the affected areas. A separate fatal security exchange took place in Kakching district during the same coordinated round of operations. The October sweep continued a pattern of sustained counter-insurgency activity aimed at dismantling the command structures and supply networks of banned groups active in the valley. In April 2026, three cadres of the KCP Progressive Workers' Group had been arrested in Imphal East and Imphal West, and improvised explosive devices were seized near the Myanmar border during the same round. Operations against KCP, PREPAK and UNLF factions have been a recurring feature of the security environment in Manipur. Authorities have consistently maintained that regular coordinated sweeps are necessary to contain the movement of militants and contraband across the state's porous borders with Myanmar, and to limit the capacity of proscribed groups to regroup and rearm. The operations are part of a broader security framework that also includes civil society engagement programs to address the underlying grievances that fuel recruitment by armed outfits in the region. [2]
Sources: [1] MorungExpress · [2] India Today NE