Turkish authorities say 19 people were killed in fighting overnight between Turkish soldiers and Kurdish rebels near the border with Iraq in southeastern Turkey.

Officials said six soldiers, two state militiamen and 11 Kurdish militants were killed and at least 15 soldiers were wounded in the rebel attack in Hakkari province

Clashes between the military and rebels have intensified in recent weeks as Turkey launched a major ground and air operation to crack down on the rebels.

More than 40,000 people, mostly Kurds, have been killed since the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK took up arms in 1984 to demand a separate, Kurdish state.