Three militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed near the village of Cicekli in the eastern province of Tunceli, a region that has seen heavy fighting between government forces and rebels, the security forces said.

The other rebel was killed in fighting near the town of Cukurca in Hakkari province, which borders Iran and Iraq, the governor's office there said.

Meanwhile, four villagers were killed and four others were wounded in the eastern Bingol province when gunmen, believed to be PKK rebels, shot at them while they were cutting down trees, security forces said.

The earlier toll stood at three killed and four wounded.

One of the injured died in hospital while another wounded villager was brought in, security forces said.

Clashes between PKK rebels and security forces intensified after the army last month launched large-scale operations against the outlawed group in the east and southeast of the country.

More than 37,000 people have been killed since the PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, took up arms in 1984 for self-rule in the mainly Kurdish east and southeast of the country.

Turkey says thousands of PKK rebels have found shelter in neighbouring northern Iraq where, Ankara says, they are able to obtain weapons and explosives for attacks on Turkish targets across the border.