TWO Kurdish protesters died of gunshot wounds sustained on Saturday during fierce clashes with Turkish soldiers in the country’s south-east.

Ramazan Baran and Abdulbaki Akdemir died in hospital after fighting between troops and Kurdish protesters angry at government plans to build a military barracks in the Lice district of Kurdish-majority Diyarbakir province.

Three people, including two soldiers, were hospitalised after the demonstrators opened fire and hurled stones and fireworks at security forces.

Witnesses said that the Turkish soldiers also fired live rounds.

Tensions have been on the rise in Lice since protesters blocked a road two weeks ago in protest at the construction of new army posts in Kurdish-majority areas, threatening a peace process started in 2012 between the government and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Earlier this week, six soldiers who were trying to remove protesters blocking the road were wounded after coming under fire from demonstrators.