Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday met families of civilians killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is visiting Jammu and Kashmir to review security measures in the region, on Wednesday met the families of the civilians killed in Poonch district.

Three civilians were discovered dead under mysterious circumstances on December 22. This came a day after a deadly ambush by terrorists that claimed the lives of four Army Jawans in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch.

The Army has since launched a probe into the civilian deaths. Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande also visited Poonch to review the on-ground situation in the area and chaired a security review meeting in the wake of deadly terror attack.

On Wednesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met the family members of three civilians who were killed in Poonch.

“The defence minister met the families of the civilians, civil society and assured action against the guilty after an inquiry into the incident,” former MLC Shahnaz Ganai, who was present in the meeting at Dak Bungalow, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Rajnath Singh, accompanied by Army chief General Manoj Pande and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, reached Rajouri district this afternoon. He also visited the Government Medical College (GMC) to enquire about the health of injured civilians.

Singh also visited the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir and took stock of the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC). He carried out a first-hand assessment of the prevailing situation as well as the counter-terror operations in the area.

While interacting with the troops, the Defence Minister paid tributes to the soldiers killed in action and conveyed his deepest condolences to the families of the bravehearts. He wished a speedy recovery of the injured soldiers, emphasising that all necessary measures are being taken in view of the prevailing situation.

“The Indian Army is not an ordinary army. The soldiers are our protectors. It is their duty to not only safeguard national interests, but also to win the hearts of the people,” he added.