By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI, India

At least 26 paramilitary personnel were killed and six others were injured by suspected Maoist rebels in India’s central state on Monday, according to a police official.

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

Senior police officer Sundar Raj P. said another seven personnel remain missing.

The injured were taken to the state capital, Raipur, for medical treatment.

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

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described 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.

“May those injured in attack recover at the earliest," 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.