An attack by Maoist insurgents in central India on Saturday resulted in the deaths of five police officers, with 18 others reported missing.
The body of a female rebel was also found, senior police officer DM Awasthi told the Associated Press.
State-run All India Radio initially reported 20 missing officers, the AP reported.
“The sacrifices of the brave martyrs will never be forgotten,” Prime Minister Narenda Modi wrote on Twitter after the attack. “May the injured recover soon.”
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According to Reuters, officers on Sunday said after the attack on security personnel from the elite CoBRA unit of the Central Reserve Police Force, the District Reserve Guard and the Special Task Force.
It happened in the state of Chhattisgarh during an anti-insurgency operation, Om Prakash Pal, a senior police officer, told the news office.
The deaths occurred during a four-hour shooting in Sukma, a border district 340 km from Raipur, the state capital, Reuters reported. A search for the missing officers is underway, Pal said.
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The attack continued with rebellious fighting that continued for decades between the Maoist, also known as Naxals, and the government.
A previous attack last month on a bus with 20 security officers also killed five officers, according to Reuters.
Associated Press contributed to this story.