KATHUA, March 8– The bodies of three missing civilians, including a teenage boy, were recovered on Saturday from the upper hills of Billawar tehsil in Jammu’s Kathua district, officials said.
A joint team of the military and J&K Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) discovered the bodies through a drone near a small waterfall
The deceased were identified as Darshan Singh (40) from Dehote village, Yogesh Singh (30) from Marhoon village, and a 14-year-old boy from the area.
According to reports, the trio had gone missing on March 5 from Malad, a remote village in Lohai Malhar panchayat with their disappearance raising security concerns, especially amid recent reports of suspected militant activity in the district.
Officials confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine if militants were involved.
The incident follows a similar case in February, when two missing civilians—Roshan Lal and Shamsher—were found dead near a stream in Billawar police station’s jurisdiction. Their bodies bore strangulation marks, leading police to register a murder case and probe potential militant links.
Jammu division has seen a resurgence of militant activity since the GOI abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.