The fighting took place late Thursday on a road linking the province of Gumushane to neighbouring Erzincan, Gumushane Governor Enver Salihoglu told the Anatolia news agency.

The security forces, backed by air cover, continued to sweep the area Friday and the road was closed to traffic, he said.

He described the militants as "terrorists" without naming any group.

An official from the governor's office told AFP they belonged to the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), but could not give other details.

Gumushane is not a region where the PKK is usually active, but officials have said earlier that several attacks in the province in recent years show the group is seeking a foothold there.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, has stepped up violence in recent weeks, mainly in the country's predominantly Kurdish southeast, after a winter lull.

The rebels took up arms against Ankara in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed some 45,000 lives.