Indian captain Virat Kohli and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja paid condolences to the families of Jawans who were martyred in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh on Saturday.
The Chhattisgarh Police on Sunday recovered bullet-riddled bodies of 17 jawans in the jungles of Chattisgarh on Sunday, raising the number of security personnel deaths to 22. The jawans engaged in a fierce gunbattle with Naxals the previous day -- the biggest massacre in more than a year that also left 30 injured.
Taking to Twitter, Kohli wrote, "Absolutely tragic to hear about the loss of lives of our brave jawans. My condolences to the bereaved families."
Jadeja also took to his official Twitter account to pay tribute to the brave jawans. "I salute the valiant sacrifice of our jawans martyred in Sukma. May the brave hearts who fought for our motherland #RIP and my condolences to their families," wrote the all-rounder.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said a befitting reply will be given to the Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh at an appropriate time. He also said search operations are continuing in Chhattisgarh following the encounter.
"'As far as the numbers are concerned, both sides have suffered losses and exact casualty figures cannot be ascertained immediately'', Shah said, after cutting short his election campaigning in Assam.
The home minister is flying back to Delhi to take stock of the situation.
