NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed his condolences to the families of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who lost their lives in Sukma blast. He said that India salutes the brave CRPF personnel.


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He took to Twitter and said, "India salutes the brave CRPF personnel who were martyred in the attack in Sukma, Chhattisgarh. My thoughts are with the families and friends of the brave martyrs. The nation stands shoulder to shoulder with them in this hour of grief."



Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh too expressed his condolences and termed the Sukma incident 'deeply distressing'.



Nine CRPF personnel were killed after suspected Naxals blew up their mine-protected vehicle in Chhattisgarh's Sukma, around a year after a dozen jawans were killed in a similar ambush in the district.


ASI RKS Tomar, constable Ajay Kumar Yadav, constable Manoranjan Lanka, constable Jitendra Singh, constable Shobhit Sharma, constable Manoj Singh, constable Dharmendra Singh, constable Chandra HS and head constable Lakshman lost their lives in the blast.


Officials said the incident took place around 12:30 pm along the Kistaram-Palodi road of the district when the troops of the 212th battalion of the CRPF were out on an operation.


The Naxals used a lot of explosives to blow up the vehicle, a state police official said.


Twelve personnel of the force were killed on March 11, 2017, in the Bheji area of the district and their arms looted, when Naxals ambushed their patrol party.


A few days later on April 24, 2017, twenty-five personnel of the paramilitary were killed in a similar ambush in Sukma.