Tensions Rise in Kashmir: Border Communities Brace for Potential Conflict

CHURANDA, India/CHAKOTHI, Pakistan: In the mountains of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), educators in Churanda begin the school day with prayers, hoping the sounds of nature will not be drowned out by artillery fire.

Despite regular class attendance, educator Farooq Ahmad noted a surge in parental anxiety following a recent deadly attack on tourists. This incident has heightened concerns on both sides of the line of control, raising fears of potential conflict escalation.

India and Pakistan have engaged in two wars over Kashmir, alongside numerous border skirmishes. Residents have grown accustomed to bracing themselves during periods of heightened tensions between the two nations.

The recent attack on a mountain beauty spot resulted in at least 26 tourist fatalities. India has accused Pakistan of involvement, a claim Islamabad denies. Pakistan reports possessing “credible intelligence” suggesting an imminent Indian military action.

From Churanda, the positions of both Pakistani and Indian soldiers are visible. Local elders recount at least 18 deaths in the village due to cross-border firing in recent decades.

Abdul Aziz, a 25-year-old resident, stated, “Our village of 1,500 has only six bunkers. With escalating threats from both sides, where can we seek refuge? This village is the most vulnerable, and fear is pervasive.”

Across the divide in Azad Kashmir, Chakothi villagers are reinforcing their hillside shelters.

Faizan Anayat, 22, visiting family from Rawalpindi, where he works as an air conditioning technician, mentioned, “People have built bunkers into their homes, seeking shelter whenever firing occurs.”

His neighbor, 73-year-old Mohammad Nazir, paused his bunker preparations to attend Friday prayers as children played cricket near the mosque entrance.

“We fear nothing,” Nazir declared. “Our children are all prepared.”

In Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir, authorities have allocated an emergency fund of Rs1 billion. Food, water, and medical supplies sufficient for two months have been dispatched to villages along the LoC.

Officials announced the closure of all religious seminaries in the region for ten days, citing concerns about potential targeting by Indian strikes.

The Azad Kashmir prime minister’s office reported that equipment has been moved to areas near the LoC for road repair, and rescue and civil defense personnel have been placed on high alert.

Gulzar Fatima, head of the Pakistan Red Crescent’s Kashmir branch, stated that the organization initiated the mobilization of supplies and personnel, including first aid providers, upon observing rising tensions.

Anticipating a large-scale displacement of people from areas near the line of control in the event of Indian military action, they are preparing relief camps with tents, hygiene kits, and cooking equipment for a minimum of 500 families.