At least 16 police personnel and one civilian were killed in a suspected Maoist insurgent attack in the west-central state of Maharashtra on Wednesday, according to Indian officials.
The men were traveling in convoy to provide reinforcement to a police post in the Gadchiroli district when a landmine detonated, killing all 16 men, including the driver.
Police have blamed the blast on Naxal militants known to be active in the region. In a press conference on Wednesday, the Director General of Police, Subodh Jaiswal said the insurgents "want to overthrow the state established by the constitution of India."
"We are very firm in our belief that they need to be dealt with the full power of the state behind us."
Militant attacks in several states, including Maharashtra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, where the rebel movement still has traction, are common.
Indian Maoist -- or Naxalite -- groups have been active in the country since the 1960s, but the modern insurgency did not begin until the early 2000s with the emergence of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and its armed wing, the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army.
More than 2,100 civilians in India have been killed in the Maoist insurgency since 2010. Security forces in the region, wary of a possible second attack, are cautiously making their way to the blast site, said Jaiswal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement on Twitter: "Strongly condemn the despicable attack ... I salute all the brave personnel. Their sacrifices will never be forgotten."
