The bombardments lasted for about 45 minutes and began at about 1300 GMT, said a report from the Firat news agency, which said that the targets were rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases in the town of Khakurk.

The Turkish army did not confirm the bombing raids, which Firat said did not cause any rebel losses.

The PKK, considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara, Brussels and Washington, has been fighting for self-rule in southwestern Turkey since 1984 and the conflict has claimed more than 37,000 lives.

Turkish warplanes often bomb the rear bases of the guerrillas, which are situated in the rugged Qandil mountains of northern Iraq near the border with Turkey and Iran.

In February, the army conducted a week-long ground offensive against PKK hideouts in the region, where Ankara estimates more than 2,000 militants take refuge.