Turkish media say Kurdish rebels have killed three Turkish soldiers in an attack in the southeastern province of Mardin.

The reports say the Kurdish militants attacked the soldiers as they returned to an outpost in Omerli district late Saturday into early Sunday. Turkish forces later launched an operation to try to capture the assailants.

Fighting between rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and the Turkish military has intensified in recent weeks. A battle earlier this month killed 13 Turkish soldiers and seven PKK militants.

The rebels have been fighting for autonomy in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast since 1984. The conflict has killed about 40,000 people.