Rahul Gandhi terms Sukma IED blast as ' tragic'

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday termed the blast attack which claimed nine Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) lives in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district as "tragic" and blamed "flawed policies" of the government for the incident.

Nine personnel of the 212 Battalion of the CRPF were killed and two were severely injured in the powerful improvised explosive device (IED) blast, allegedly carried out by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district earlier today.

"The Maoist attack in Sukma, Chhattisgarh in which nine CRPF jawans lost their lives is 'tragic'. It reflects a deteriorating internal security situation due to flawed policies," the office of Rahul Gandhi Tweeted.

"My condolences to the families of those killed. To those who have been injured, I wish a speedy recovery," the second tweet said.

Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed condolence over the death of CRPF personnel.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, "deeply anguished" over the blast attack, also expressed condolences to the families.

The incident took place when CRPF jawans were conducting an operation in a forest in the district when the blast took place, ripping apart their mine-protected vehicle (MPV).