The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denied that Turkish-backed forces had taken control of the center of Ras al Ain on Saturday after a senior Turkish security official said the town center had been seized.
Marvan Qamishlo, an SDF military media official, said Turkish-backed forces had entered one neighborhood of Ras al Ain, the industrial district, following hours of heavy Turkish shelling that had forced a "tactical retreat" from that area.
"Now the SDF's attack has started and there are very fierce clashes now," he told Reuters. "The clashes are continuing in the industrial district," he said, saying this was the part of Ras al Ain closest to the Turkish border.