Kyrgyzstan said Friday that its death toll in armed clashes with Tajikistan had reached 13, after the pair agreed a ceasefire following the worst fighting at their disputed border in years.

Kyrgyzstan’s health ministry said in a statement that it had suffered 134 casualties “including 13 fatalities”, with two of the injured in a serious condition. Among Kyrgyzstan’s casualties was a girl “born in 2008”, it added.

Military units from the two countries began exchanging fire on Thursday, but later that day a ceasefire was announced by Kyrgyzstan’s foreign ministry from 8:00 pm (1400 GMT), with armed forces returning to their bases.

Tajikistan acknowledged the ceasefire in a statement published by its state information service early on Friday, saying the two sides “came to a mutual agreement to end the armed conflict, to withdraw personnel and military equipment to places of permanent deployment”.

The clashes that erupted along the border between two countries were the heaviest in years, and had raised fears they might escalate into a wider conflict.