Turkish officials and local media say eight Turkish soldiers have been killed in a suspected bomb attack in the country's southeast.

Officials say the attack happened early Wednesday in the Hakkari province near Turkey's border with Iraq.

A security source tells Reuters that fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, are believed to be responsible for the attack.

Fighting between rebels and the Turkish military has intensified in recent weeks.

PKK rebels have been waging a campaign for autonomy in the largely Kurdish southeast since 1984. The conflict has killed about 40,000 people.

Earlier this month, Kurdish rebels attacked a military convoy in southeast Turkey, killing three soldiers and wounding several others. Separately, a battle in July killed 13 Turkish soldiers and seven PKK militants.

Since calling off a cease-fire in February, the PKK has adopted what it calls an “active defense” stance, which allows its fighters to defend themselves if they feel threatened.

Turkey, the United States, and the European Union consider the PKK a terrorist group.