Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi meet victims of Chhattisgarh Maoist attack

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday met victims of the Chhattisgarh Maoist attack, which left at least 27 dead, including two senior Congress leaders.

Both Dr. Singh and Sonia Gandhi visited the hospital in Raipur where the injured have been admitted.

"We have to be more determined in fighting Naxal extremism. These lives should not go in vain", Dr. Singh was quoted as saying on his official Twitter account.

"This incident should be treated as an inspiration in our fight against forces of extremism and violence. I pray for the souls of the departed. May God give their family members strength in this moment of grief", he added.

Earlier describing the incident as a dastardly and anti-democratic act, Dr. Singh said, Government will take firm action against the perpetrators of violence.

Dr. Singh also appealed to the attackers to release, at the earliest, all those who may have been abducted.

At least 27 people, including senior Congress leader Nand Kumar Patel, Mahendra Karma, were killed and several others injured including senior party leader V.C.Shukla when heavily-armed Maoists ambushed a convoy of party leaders inside a dense forest in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district.

The body of Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, who was kidnapped along with his son after Maoists ambushed a convoy of party leaders, was found on Sunday in a forest in Bastar district. The body has been spotted near Darba Gati Valley, police said.

Maoists had kidnapped Patel and his son Dinesh after attacking the convoy of Congress leaders.