Reports: Two Turkish soldiers, Kurdish rebel killed in fighting in Turkey's southeast

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) _ Turkish troops and Kurdish rebels clashed in southeastern Turkey in fighting that killed two soldiers and a guerrilla, news reports said Sunday. <br/><br/>The clashes broke out

Sunday, October 3rd 2004, 11:55 am

By: News On 6

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) _ Turkish troops and Kurdish rebels clashed in southeastern Turkey in fighting that killed two soldiers and a guerrilla, news reports said Sunday.

The clashes broke out Saturday in Tunceli province, 480 miles east of the capital Ankara, the Anatolia news agency said.

One soldier was killed and three were wounded, one of whom later died in a hospital, the agency reported. A rebel was killed Sunday as a military operation against the guerrillas continued, Anatolia reported.

Officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Rebels seeking autonomy in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast have battled government forces in a conflict that has killed more than 37,000 people since 1984.

Clashes tapered off after a rebel truce in 1999, which followed the capture of their leader, Abdullah Ocalan. But there has been a surge in violence since June 1, when the rebels declared an end to the cease-fire, saying Turkey had not responded in kind.