PKK militants killed in armed clash in eastern Turkey

The office said in a statement that the clash took place at Kizilcik Village in Mazgirt town of Tunceli province, leaving the three PKK members dead.

The PKK, also known as KADEK or Kongra-Gel, launched an armed campaign for an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey in 1984, sparking decades of strife that has claimed more than 30,000 lives,mainly the Kurds.

Though fighting fell off sharply with the capture of PKK commander Abdullah Ocalan in 1999, violence between the guerrillas and Turkish security forces has been on the rise since the rebels called off a six-year unilateral truce in June.

The Turkish government refuses to negotiate with the PKK, which it deems a terrorist organization. Enditem