Srinagar, April 11 (IANS) The body of the third civilian, who went missing along with two others in J&K’s Kulgam district around mid-February, was recovered on Friday, officials said.

Officials said that the body of Mukhtar Ahmad was recovered from a mountain stream in the district.

The body was spotted by the locals, who informed the police. A police team reached the spot and retrieved the body, which was then shifted to the district hospital in Kulgam town for completion of legal formalities.

On February 13, three persons, belonging originally to Rajouri district in Jammu division, namely Riyaz Ahmad Bajad, his younger brother, Showkat Ahmad Bajad, and Mukhtar Ahmad, went missing from Qazigund area of Kulgam.

They had left for Ashmuji village in Kulgam to attend a function at a relative’s house, but they disappeared before reaching their destination.

Their mobile phones had remained switched off since then, officials said.

Earlier, the bodies of the other two missing persons were also recovered from the same stream.

"Police had been searching for the body of the third person since then. The search concluded today with the recovery of Mukhtar Ahmad’s body,” an official said.

Mystery continues to surround the disappearance and the subsequent murder of the three civilians.

Senior Gujjar leader and MP, Mian Altaf Ahmad, had gone to the homes of the missing persons. He had appealed to the authorities to trace the missing persons and also uncover the mystery behind this disappearance.

The families of the three deceased civilians have demanded an enquiry into the whole incident so that the guilty are brought to justice quickly.

Police have so far not given any statement about the culprits responsible for the disappearance and subsequent murder of these three civilians.

Three civilians, identified as Varun Singh, Yogesh Singh and Darshan Singh, went missing in Kathua district of Jammu division on March 5 when they were returning from a wedding in Billawar area.

Their bodies were found on March 8 near a water body in the upper reaches of Billawar. Police said the three had been killed by terrorists.