Recent clashes between troops from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have claimed the lives of at least 55 people, official data released on Thursday indicates.

Tajik authorities said that 19 people were killed and 89 were injured.

Kyrgyzstan said 36 people had died and 189 were injured.

Each blamed the other for last week's flare-up in the conflict over water resources that has simmered for decades.

The situation stabilized following a ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops during the weekend.

The conflict escalated when Tajik officials wanted to install a surveillance camera near a water distribution system.

The spot in question lies in area controlled by Kyrgyzstan. Water from a canal feeds a reservoir which is one of the most important sources of water for people in the Batken region.

But Tajikistan claims it ought to have access to the water, citing older maps.
Kyrgyz citizens were against the move, and according to a report, began to throw stones. Both sides then bulked up their border troops, who fired at each other, leaving over 40 people dead in the meantime.

Both countries in Central Asia became independent after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. However, disputes along their nearly 1,000-kilometre shared border have been common in the past decades