Turkey condemns killing of 25 Indian paramilitaries

By Burcu Arik

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey has condemned an attack which killed at least 25 Indian paramilitary soldiers in the country's Chhattisgarh state on Monday.

"It has been learned with great sorrow that 25 security officers were killed and six were wounded in a terrorist attack," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website Tuesday.

The ministry called the attack "heinous".

"We convey our condolences to the friendly people and government of India and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded," it added.

According to local media and Indian security sources, the attack was carried out by Maoist rebels in India’s central state.

All personnel belonged to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), India's largest paramilitary force. The incident took place at around noon in the Sukma district, some 941 kilometers (585 miles) from the capital, New Delhi.

The personnel had been deployed to provide security to workers building roads in the dense forest region near the village of Kottacheru, according to police.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the killings as "cowardly and deplorable".

"We are proud of the valor of our CRPF personnel. The sacrifice of the martyrs will not go in vain." Modi tweeted.

The Maoist rebels have been fighting for more than three decades in eastern and central India for what they describe as the rights of tribal people in the region.

In March, 12 CRPF personnel also lost their lives in an alleged Maoist attack in the same district.