Ethnic clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks have flared up in Kyrgyzstan's southern city of Osh, where at least 37 people have been killed, Press TV reported.
Health officials said Friday that 37 people had been killed and more than 500 others injured in the violence.
The clashes started after rival groups exchanged fire and set shops ablaze before engaging in street battles with police. Witnesses say an Uzbek neighborhood was also the scene of violence.
Blaming the clashes on criminal networks operating in the south, the interim government has deployed more than 1000 troops in the region, sending in armored vehicles to control the unrest.
A state of emergency has been imposed in Osh and several rural districts until June 20.
The political situation in Kyrgyzstan has been shaky since the revolt that overthrew former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in April.