Army won't be used against Maoists, says govt

Bangalore: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday affirmed the government's determination not to succumb to the increasing threat of Maoists but ruled out the use of the army against them.

"It shows the measure of challenge we face. We will never succumb," Singh told reporters in Raichur after he made an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas in parts of north Karnataka.

"We are not talking of using armed forces. Police and paramilitary forces will be mobilized," he said.

Maoists killed 17 policemen in Gadchiroli in Maharashtra on Thursday in the latest attack by them on police and police stations.