Kashmir lies at the heart of a bitter territorial dispute since India and Pakistan became independent in 1947. New Delhi and Islamabad both claim the Himalayan region in full, but rule parts of it. The two countries have fought two wars over the disputed territory. They agreed to a ceasefire in Kashmir on November 26, 2003, and launched a peace process the following year. Since then, there have been sporadic clashes, with the two sides trading accusations of violating the ceasefire along their de facto border dividing the disputed region. A fresh series of clashes erupted in Kashmir on July 8, when people began protests against the killing of Burhan Wani, a popular pro-independence fighter at the hands of Indian forces. There are an estimated 500,000 Indian troops currently deployed in the restive territory. The country has imposed a curfew across large parts of the territory since July.