DIYARBAKIR, Turkey: Four Turkish soldiers were killed and two wounded on Wednesday by remote-controlled bombs targeting their convoy, security sources said, the latest sign of escalating violence in the Kurdish region.

The deaths follows a car bombing on Monday that killed nine people, including children, and wounded more than 60 others in the southern town of Gaziantep.

The government blamed that attack on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has denied involvement.

The army sent in troop reinforcements and helicopter gunships in response to Wednesday's incident in the Semdinli region of Hakkari province, which borders Iraq and Iran.

Roadside bombs are common in the southeast, scene of a 28-year conflict between the military and the PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. More than 40,000 people, mainly Kurds, have died in the conflict.

The PKK has stepped up attacks in recent months, and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of backing the rebels, underscoring fears that the turmoil in Syria could destabilise neighbouring countries.