The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

The Turkish forces try to encircle Ras Al-Ayn city and to cut off the road to Tal Tamr in order to impose their control over the city in the incoming few hours amid intense shelling and fierce battles against the SDF

Violent clashes are still continuing in areas in Ras Al-Ayn and its countryside at the border strip, between the Syria Democratic Forces on one hand, and the Turkish forces and the factions loyal to them on the other, accompanied by violent and heavy shelling, where the Turkish forces are trying to encircle the city completely and to cut off the road between Ras Al-Ayn and Tal Tamr, under a cover of heavy firepower with the purpose of taking the control of the city before tomorrow morning, while the SDF seek to repel the attacks and prevent the factions and the Turkish forces from advancing, and the SOHR published hours ago, that the Turkish forces and their loyal factions managed to impose full control over Tal Abyad city at the border strip in the east of Euphrates, in addition to achieving new advancements represented by taking the control of several villages in the area of Ras Al-Ayn, thus, the Turkish forces and Syrian  factions loyal to them become in control of about  220 km2 inside the Syrian territory from the west of Tal Abyad to the west of Ras Al-Ayn city to Al-Hasakah – Aleppo Road which is known as “M4”, which they managed to impose their control over it and cut it off at the administrative border between the provinces of Al-Raqqah and Al-Hasakah.

Thus, it rose to at least 41, the number of areas over which the Turkish forces with the Syrian factions loyal to them imposed their control in the east of the Euphrates, since the start of “Peace Spring” Operation on the 9th of October 2019, they are Tal Abyad, Sluk, Mazra’aat al-Hammadi, Abu Qabr, Mazra’aat al-Masihi, Hamida, al-Mahida, al-Dadat, al-Yabseh, al-Meshrfeh, Tal Fender, Bir Ashiq, al-Terwaziyyeh, Lazkeh, Hwyran, al-Wastah, al-Ghajir, Shokan, al-Khalidiyah, al-Aridah, al-Nabhan, Om al-Jern, Ghzil, al-Hawi, Tababin, Jamous, Felyou, al-Zaydi and Al-Daroubiyyah in Tal Abyad area, and Mabroukah and Tal Halaf towns and the villages of Al-Kantari, Wadhah, Twijal, Alok, Kashto, Aksas, Tal Khenzir, Al-Aziziyyeh, Al-Balloujah and Abu Al-Soun in the Ras al-Ayn area.

And with the fall of more casualties, it rose to 112 at least, the number of members of the Syria Democratic Forces who were killed by Turkish air and land strikes and clashes against Turkish Forces and the factions loyal to, also it rose to 81, the number of the Syrian factions loyal to Ankara including 13 of the pro-Turkish cells who were killed in targeting and clashes against SDF, while 8 Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes and targeting, Turkey acknowledged the death of only 5 of them, amid information about other Turkish casualties at the Syrian – Turkish border, and the death toll is expected to rise because there are some people in critical situation, in addition to information about other casualties.