Turkish security sources killed three PKK terrorists, including a wanted terrorist, in the eastern Tunceli province, the Interior Ministry said Friday.

A provincial gendarmerie squad killed the terrorists in Tunceli's Ovacık district, the ministry said in a statement.

Among the terrorists was Osman İşleyen, codenamed Arges, a PKK terrorist who is on the gray category of the Interior Ministry's wanted terrorists list, the ministry said.

The wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and gray.

Işleyen had a TL 500,000 ($73,300) bounty on his head, it added.

Operations continue in the region, it stressed.

In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and EU, has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Turkish security forces regularly conduct counterterrorism operations in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Turkey where the PKK has attempted to establish a strong presence. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) also carry out cross-border operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK terrorists have hideouts and bases from which to carry out attacks on Turkey, with particular attention to targeting high-level terrorists.