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On February 17, 2026, the Indian security forces commenced Operation Black Forest 2 and made one of the biggest and most immediate anti-Naxal operations in the new year. The attack is being launched through the thick woods of the southern states of Chhattisgarh and is mainly in the Bijapur, Sukma, Dantewada, Narayanpur, and both the Bastar districts, and they are seeking to eliminate the strongholds of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) in their so-called liberated areas.

Organizers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), District Reserve Guard (DRG), and Chattisgarh Police stated that a total of over 5,000 personnel in various central and state forces are taking part in the coordinated operation. The forces have deployed IAF helicopters to carry out aerial surveillance, drones, and satellite photography to entrench themselves with several forward operating bases in the depths of the Abujhmad and Indravati National Park regions—places traditionally thought to be impregnable Maoist strongholds.

The operation is similar to the one conducted in Operation Black Forest 1 (2024-2025), where more than 280 Naxals were killed, 1,200 (and more) cadres surrendered, and numerous permanent camps were destroyed.

Phase 2 is said to be more aggressive, which concentrates on:

• Smoking out the remaining Maoists still in control in Bastar (including the Central Committee and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee members).
• Arms dumps, IED factories, and jungle training camps have been destroyed.
• Cessation of supply channels and food routes.
• Promoting giving up using more psychological procedures and rehabilitation packages.

Security agencies verified that within the first 48 hours (by February 19 morning), a subsequent amount of AK-47s, INSAS rifles, grenades, pressure mines, and huge amounts of explosives had already been recovered in several locations. Two encounters that were reported included one at the Puvarti village (Bijapur) and the other in the woods of Kistaram (Sukma), with four Maoists killed and two bodies recovered.

According to the Chhattisgarh Director General of Police (Ashok Juneja), he said:

Operation Black Forest 2 is not an action of pure kinetics. It is an all-inclusive campaign to regain ground, reestablish governance, and introduce development to domains that have long been held by Maoist control.

The operation is made during the new phase by the Union government to stop left-wing extremism by March 31, 2026—a deadline that is repeatedly stated by Home Minister Amit Shah. As the Chhattisgarh assembly elections based on the successful completion of several developmental milestones in Bastar are about to take place later in 2028, the BJP Chhattisgarh government is under pressure to demonstrate successful improvement in Bastar.

The offensive has been hailed by local tribal chiefs and the civil society organizations, but they have called on the security officials to avoid deaths of civilians and the need to uphold the human rights. Meanwhile, the Maoist attires have threatened to retaliate, threatening to retaliate with decisive counterattacks in the weeks ahead.

Since the helicopters fly over Abujhmad and thousands of jawans trudge through leech-infested jungles, Operation Black Forest 2 has already become the major internal security operation in Chhattisgarh of the past 10 years—and the future of Naxalism in India is at stake.