The clash occurred in countryside close to the village of Uludere during a military sweep against insurgents in the area, it said.

Two women were said to be among the Kurds killed, who were identified as belonging to the armed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.

Explosives, several automatic pistols and documents were found on their bodies.

The Kurdish conflict in Turkey has claimed more than 37,000 lives since it started in 1984.