DAMASCUS, Oct 21 (NNN-SANA) – Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels, captured the city of Ras al-Ayn, in the countryside of Hasakah Province, in northeastern Syria, on Sunday.
The city is the latest Kurdish-held area that has been captured by the Turkish forces, since the beginning of the Turkish assault in northern Syria 11 days ago.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew from Ras al-Ayn, according to the report.
The Turkish forces have been besieging the city for days, after Ankara launched a wide-scale assault in northern Syria, on Oct 9.
Ras al-Ayn, near the Turkish border, is part of the safe zone that Ankara creates, in northeastern Syria.
The city is 85 km from the provincial capital of Hasakah, and is around 23,000 square km. The inhabitants of the city is a mix of Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians, Armenians and Turkmens, among others.
In tandem with the Turkish assault, the Kurdish-led SDF and the Syrian army reached a Russian-backed deal earlier this week, for the army to assume certain Kurdish-held areas to counter the Turkish attack.
The Turkish safe zone is 32 km deep into Syrian territory, and running 480 km along the border.– NNN-SANA
