New Delhi, Apr 4 (IANS): Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday condemned the attack by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur that left 22 security personnel dead and that the entire country bows before their sacrifice.

"I pay homage to all jawans who have sacrificed their lives, and heartfelt condolences to their families. The nation owes an enormous debt of gratitude to them. I fervently hope for the return of our missing soldiers, and look forward to the complete recovery of those injured.

"We are united in our resolve to combat Maoism. The Congress government in Chhattisgarh will continue to provide all assistance to our Central paramilitary forces in fighting Maoism with full rigour," she said.

In a major Maoist attack this year, at least 22 security personnel were killed and 20 more injured in a fierce gunfight with more than 300 People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur, said army officials.

The gunfight took place on Saturday as both the state police and the CRPF confirmed that 22 bodies were recovered in a massive search operation.

Of the 22 security personnel, nine belong to the CRPF, while the remaining are from state police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF).