More than 50 dead in battle for water resources in Central Asia



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

Tajik authorities said 19 people were killed and 89 injured.

Kyrgyzstan said 36 people were dead and 189 injured.

Each blamed the other for last week’s spike in the decades-long simmering water resource conflict.

The situation stabilized after a ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops over the weekend.

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

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

But Tajikistan claims it should have access to water, citing older maps.
Kyrgyz citizens were against the move and, according to a report, started throwing stones. The two sides then rallied their border troops, who fired at each other, killing more than 40 in the meantime.

The two Central Asian countries became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, disputes along their common border of nearly 1,000 kilometers have been frequent in recent decades.

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