The fighting broke out during a security operation in the Bestler region in Sirnak province which borders Iraq and Syria, the Sirnak governor's office said in a statement, carried by the Anatolia news agency.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara and much of the international community, called a unilateral ceasefire on October 1, saying it hoped to pave the way for a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Ankara.

The truce, like previous ones called by the rebels, was rejected by Turkey, but fighting has decreased markedly since then.

More than 37,000 people have been killed since 1984 when the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the mainly Kurdish southeast.