Three Kurdish rebels killed in Turkey-officials

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Oct 12 (Reuters) Turkish security forces have killed three Kurdish militants in southeast Turkey during their biggest military offensive since the rebels announced a unilateral ceasefire, officials said today.

Turkey's government and military general staff have dismissed the October 1 ceasefire as a publicity stunt.

The governor's office in remote Sirnak province near the border with Iraq said in a statement two rebels were killed yesterday after they opened fire on security forces.

A third rebel was killed separately on Wednesday in the same province and a fourth militant has been taken captive, security sources said.

Security forces have seized weapons and 10 tonnes worth of food as they try to flush out rebels before they take shelter for the winter in the mountainous region.

Turkish troops have killed several other guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) since the unilateral ceasefire began.

Ankara blames the PKK for the deaths of more than 30,000 people since the group launched its armed campaign for an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey in 1984.

Like Turkey, the United States and the European Union have blacklisted the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

Washington's recently appointed envoy for fighting the PKK, retired Air Force general Joseph Ralston, today held talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara.

President George W. Bush appointed Ralston after Ankara demanded its NATO ally do more to combat PKK units based in northern Iraq, which the group has been using as a springboard to attack targets inside Turkey.

Turkey has said it has the right, under international law, to crush the PKK rebels based in Iraq itself if US and Iraqi government forces fail to act.

REUTERS PR ND2034