Amid the rugged peaks of Indian-administered Kashmir, the village of Churanda greets the day with quiet prayers. Teachers guide children through morning devotions, hoping that the whispers of walnut trees and the songs of birds won’t soon give way to the thunder of guns.

Despite the routine of school, anxiety ripples through the community. “Parents are deeply worried,” says Farooq Ahmad, a local teacher, reflecting on the deadly attack on tourists that has stirred fears of looming conflict on both sides of the Line of Control.

India and Pakistan, longtime rivals over Kashmir, have fought two full-scale wars and countless skirmishes along their tense border. For the people living here, watching and waiting as tensions rise has become a painful ritual.

The recent attack at a mountain resort left at least 26 tourists dead. India points the finger at Pakistan, which denies involvement, while Pakistan claims it has credible intelligence that India is preparing for military strikes.

From Churanda’s hills, both Indian and Pakistani troops can be seen in their fortified positions. Elders recall that at least 18 villagers have been killed in decades of cross-border gunfire.

“With just six bunkers for 1,500 people, where can we go if fighting erupts?” asks Abdul Aziz, a 25-year-old resident. “This village has suffered the most, and the fear is real.”

Across the divide, in the Pakistani-administered village of Chakothi, residents reinforce the bunkers dotting the slopes near their homes.

“People have shelters inside their houses. Whenever shots are fired, they take cover,” says Faizan Anayat, 22, visiting from Rawalpindi where he works as an air conditioning technician.

Nearby, 73-year-old Mohammad Nazir paused his bunker work to join Friday prayers at the mosque, as children played cricket just outside. “We’re not scared,” Nazir says with quiet resolve. “Even our children are ready.”

In Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, officials have set aside 1 billion rupees ($3.5 million) for emergency response, stockpiling food, water, and medical supplies for border villages—enough to last two months.

Authorities have also closed religious schools for 10 days, fearing they could be targeted in potential strikes. Road repair crews have been deployed near the border, and rescue services are on high alert, according to the regional prime minister’s office.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Red Crescent has swung into action. Gulzar Fatima, who heads its Kashmir chapter, says they quickly mobilized supplies and teams, including first-aid responders. If conflict erupts, they anticipate mass displacement from border communities and are preparing camps with tents, sanitation kits, and cooking supplies for at least 500 families.