Ankara - Three Kurdish separatists and two Turkish village guards were killed Friday in a fire-fight in southeastern Turkey, the Dogan news agency reported.

The clash took place at 1 pm (1000 GMT) in the Eruh region of Siirt province after a group of village guards, state-employed and armed villagers whose main task is to fight Kurdish separatists, found a group of Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) fighters.

Dogan reported that the PKK guerrillas opened fire after the village guards called on them to surrender.

The Turkish military later sent in special forces troops to capture those PKK fighters who fled the scene of the clash.

More than 35,000 people, mainly Kurdish civilians, have been killed since the PKK launched their fight for independence or autonomy for the mainly Kurdish-populated south-east.

The PKK is considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union. (dpa)