3 who went missing from Jammu’s Kathua district found dead in river

The officer said their bodies were sighted in a river flowing through the district, located in Jammu. The cause of death is yet to be ascertained as the police parties are yet to reach the area, the official said.

The deceased were part of a wedding procession on its way to Malhar from Chou village on Thursday. When the procession was around Ishu forests, they lost contact with other members of the wedding party, who informed police about their disappearance.

Suspecting that they might have been kidnapped by militants, security forces and the Jammu and Kashmir Police launched searches for them, particularly since there had already been reports of militant movement in the area.

In July of last year, five soldiers were killed in a militant attack on an Army convoy in the Badnota area of Lohai Malhar.