The attack happened in the village of Bilge, near the city of Mardin.

The mayor of Mardin, Mehmet Besir Ayanoglu, reported the toll to AFP by telephone after having visited a local hospital where the bodies and the injured had been taken.

In Ankara, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was briefed about the incident by Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Anatolia news agency reported.

There was no official word on who might be behind the shooting.

Separatist Kurdish rebels are active in southeast Turkey, where they have waged a 24-year campaign for self-rule.

Blood feuds are also frequent in the region.