An attack by Maoist insurgents in central India on Saturday resulted in the death of five policemen, with 18 others missing, according to reports.
The body of a rebel was also found, police officer DM Awasthi told the Associated Press.
State radio All India initially reported 20 missing officers, AP reported.
“The sacrifices of the brave martyrs will never be forgotten,” Prime Minister Narenda Modi wrote on Twitter after the attack. “May the wounded recover as quickly as possible.”
BUS LEAVES FROM THE BRIDGE TO THE CANAL IN THE CENTER OF INDIA; 40 DEAD
The attack targeted personal security personnel from the elite CoBRA unit of the Central Reserve Police Force, the District Reserve Guard and the Special Task Force, officials said on Sunday, according to Reuters.
It happened in the state of Chhattisgarh during an anti-insurgency operation, Om Prakash Pal, a police officer, told the media.
The deaths occurred during a four-hour shootout in Sukma, a border district 340 miles from Raipur, the state capital, Reuters reported. A search was underway for the missing policemen, Pal told the agency.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
The attack continued with decades-long insurgent fighting between the Maoists, also known as Naxals, and the government.
A previous attack last month on a bus carrying 20 security officers also left five policemen dead, according to Reuters.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.