Two Kurdish rebels killed in clash in Turkey

Turkish troops killed two Kurdish rebels in a clash in a rural area in south-eastern Turkey, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported today.

Anatolia said the fighting occurred near the town of Lice, in Diyarbakir province, a majority Kurdish area where battles between Turkish soldiers and rebels of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, are common.

The agency did not say when the clashes took place or give any further details.

Authorities in Lice were not immediately available to confirm the report.

Kurdish rebels have been fighting Turkish security forces in eastern Turkey for more than two decades, often slipping across the mountainous border from bases in northern Iraq.

The clash occurred despite a unilateral ceasefire proclaimed by the rebels on October 1.

Turkey did not recognise the ceasefire, saying it would continue fighting until all rebels were killed or surrendered.

The PKK is considered a terrorist organisation by the United States and the European Union.