Union minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday blamed terrorists for the killing of three civilians in a remote area in the Billawar tehsil of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district.
The killings have sparked protests and shutdown in the area.
The bodies of Varun Singh, 15, and his uncles, Yogesh Singh, 32, and Darshan Singh, 40, were found in Ishu nullah in the remote Malhar area in the higher reaches of the district on Saturday.
The minister said the killings were a matter of great concern.
"The brutal killing of three youth by terrorists in Bani area of district Kathua is extremely sad as well as a matter of great concern. There appears to be a deep conspiracy behind spoiling the atmosphere in this peaceful area," the minister, who represents Udhampur Parliamentary constituency that covers Kathua, said on X, formerly twitter .
"We have discussed this matter with the officials concerned. The Union Home Secretary himself is reaching Jammu so that the situation can be assessed on the spot. I am confident that it will be ensured that such incidents do not happen again and the confidence of the people remains strong," he said.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan rushed to Jammu today and reviewed the security situation at a high-level meeting which was attended by top police, security and intelligence officials.
A shutdown was observed in Billawar and adjoining areas on Sunday to protest the killing of the three civilians.
"This is a clear case of target killings by terrorists, engulfing the peaceful area in fear and anger. We want the government to intensify the anti-terrorist operations in the forests to neutralise the terrorists hiding in the forests for the last year," local BJP leader Gopal Krishan, who led a group of protesters at Phinter chowk, said.
He said the people will not allow the terrorists to succeed in their designs and harm the communal harmony by carrying out selective killings.
Senior BJP leader and Billawar MLA Satish Sharma, who visited the deceased family, said it is premature to say who killed the three civilians.
"It is a matter of investigation as nobody has seen how they were killed. Police are looking in all aspects, including the terror angle, in the case," he said, adding a clear picture will emerge once the postmortem report comes.
The Congress demanded a high-level investigation to clear the apprehensions of locals and overcome the current situation of "great fear" and sense of insecurity in the entire belt.