The three rebels from the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were shot dead in an operation in Erzincan province that was launched late Monday after suspected members of the group opened fire on a military patrol vehicle, wounding four soldiers, Erzincan governor Ali Gungor said.

Two other militants were captured, Gungor told the Anatolia news agency.

In Gumushane province to the north, a soldier was killed and another wounded when rebels opened fire on a patrol in a rural area, governor Enver Salihoglu told the agency.

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

The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Ankara and much of the international community, has notably stepped up its attacks this year.

The army launched a large-scale crackdown against the group in the east and southeast of the country and amassed troops on the border with Iraq, where the militants take refuge.

The PKK took up arms for self-rule in the Kurdish-majority southeast in 1984. The conflict has claimed more than 37,000 lives.