The clash occured at 0530 GMT in a rural area near the town of Kozluk in the Batman province during a raid by secuity forces, said the sources.

The gun battle, which lasted about an hour and a half, began after members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) refused to heed a call from security forces to surrender, they added.

The PKK took up arms in south-eastern Turkey in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed about 45,000 lives. It is labelled a terrorist outfit by Ankara and much of the international community.