JAMMU: Bodies of three missing persons were sighted through drones by security forces at a waterfall in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on Saturday, officials said.

Darshan Singh (40) and Yogesh Singh (32), both residents of Marhoon, and Varun Singh (15), a resident of Dehota, were reported missing on March 5 on their return from a marriage function in Lohai Malhar in the Billawar tehsil, the officials said.

They said a massive search operation by the Army and police was launched to trace the missing persons, one of whom contacted his family two days back, saying they had lost their way in the forest while coming back.

Efforts are on to retrieve the bodies, the officials said, adding the cause of their death would be known only after a postmortem.

BJP legislator Satesh Sharma had raised the issue in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Friday. "I want to inform the House about three missing civilians. We seek answers from the government," Sharma said.