JAMMU: Union minister Jitendra Singh condemned Sunday the killing of three members of an extended family in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, calling it a terrorist attack aimed at destabilising the region’s peace.
Darshan Singh, 40, Yogesh Singh, 32, and 15-year-old Varun Singh went missing on March 5 while returning from a wedding in Marhoon village. Their bodies were discovered Saturday near a waterfall on the edge of an escarpment in a wooded area following an extensive search involving the Army, police, drones, and sniffer dogs.
The “brutal killing” of three relatives “by terrorists in Bani area of Kathua is extremely sad as well as a matter of great concern”, Singh said. “We have discussed this matter with officials. The Union home secretary is reaching Jammu to assess the situation.”
Police had initially ruled out a terrorist strike, saying the cause of death would be determined after autopsies. However, authorities have yet to disclose the results or hand over the bodies to the victims’ families.
Lt governor Manoj Sinha ordered an investigation into the deaths. “I offer my deepest condolences to their families and friends,” he said. “I assure the people that the perpetrators will be brought to book at the earliest.”
The killings sparked protests in nearby Billawer town, where locals observed a complete shutdown Sunday. Demonstrators heckled MLA Bani Rameshwar Singh when he visited a hospital to meet the victims’ families. Security forces, including paramilitary personnel, have been deployed in the area.
If confirmed as a terrorist attack, it would mark the deadliest strike on civilians in Jammu region since the June 9, 2024, ambush on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district, which killed nine people and wounded 41.
Jammu saw a surge in terrorist violence last year, particularly in Kathua, Poonch, Reasi, and Rajouri districts. Attacks have resumed following the winter thaw, with security forces reporting increased infiltration attempts.
Recent attacks include a Feb 11 IED blast near the LoC in Akhnoor that killed two soldiers, a Feb 8 shooting at a military patrol in Keri sector, and a March 5 shootout where one terrorist was killed and a civilian wounded in Kathua.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti described the situation in Kathua as “deeply alarming” and warned that elements within and beyond India’s borders could be attempting to stoke communal tensions in the sensitive region.
Security forces remain on high alert as melting snow in the mountainous region is expected to facilitate infiltration attempts.