Kurdish rebels killed eight Turkish soldiers on Wednesday in an ambush in the southeast of the country, Turkey's defence minister said.

"They (rebels) are testing our patience... We'll retaliate in kind," Ismet Yilmaz was quoted as saying by the Turkish media.

The attack took place in the Cukurca region of Hakkari province, close to the border with Iraq, the minister said.

The toll could rise as several other troops were seriously wounded, CNN-Turk and NTV reported.

Local sources said two mine explosions in two different spots caused the incident, adding that an operation was launched against rebels immediately after the attack. They said the road was closed to the traffic and many ambulances were sent to the scene to treat the injured.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier said Turkey's "patience is running out" and signalled tougher measures against rebels after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, without elaborating.

Measures being considered by the government include sending special police and professional army units to the combat zones along the border with Iraq.

"Our police department, with its trained personnel in this area, is involved in this fight," Erdogan was quoted as saying by daily Milliyet Wednesday. "Our security forces will continue their fight in coordination toward an common goal. I hope we'll see together the beneficial results of this new understanding," he added.

On June 16, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), blacklisted as a terrorist group by Turkey as well as the European Union and the United States, killed 13 soldiers in another southeastern province of Diyarbakir.

The conflict with the PKK has claimed more than 45,000 lives since it began in 1984.

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