New Delhi, Apr 25 (IANS): Vice President M. Hamid Ansari on Tuesday condemned the attack on CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, saying there cannot be any justification for such "heinous and reprehensible acts".

Ansari said those responsible for the deaths of the 25 Central Reserve Police Force personnel "must be found and punished".

"I am deeply shocked to learn about the attack in Sukma... in which a number of CRPF personnel lost their lives. There cannot be any justification for such... acts...," Ansari said in a statement.

"I join the nation in offering my sincere condolences to the families of the CRPF jawans who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," added the statement.

In one of the deadliest attacks, 300 to 400 heavily armed Maoists, women included, ambushed a CRPF contingent in a forested patch in Chhattisgarh on Monday, killing 25 troopers and escaping with their AK-47 assault rifles.