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(CNN) - Turkish forces took control of their first city in northern Syria on Saturday, the Ministry of Defense said, as the country's offensive intensifies.
The Turkish army tweeted that it had seized Ras al-Ain on the border "as a result of the ongoing successful operations within the scope of Operation Peace Spring."
But the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led by the Kurds rejected him, and Commander Mervan Qamishlo told Reuters that the group had carried out a "tactical withdrawal" from a neighborhood of Ras Al Ain, before they resumed " very fierce clashes. ”
- Chaotic scenes in northern Syria while people flee for their lives amid Turkey's military offensive
It occurs days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched the raid on Syria to expel Kurdish forces, a key US ally against ISIS, from the border and use the area to resettle about two million Syrian refugees
Smoke rises above the Syrian city of Ras al-Ain, as seen from the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar.
Dozens of civilians have died since Turkey began launching air strikes and artillery fire across the border. And according to the SDF, 45 of their fighters have died since Wednesday. He also says his resistance killed 118 forces backed by Turkey on Friday.
An estimated 100,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of the military offensive, according to the United Nations on Friday.
Displaced Syrians, who fled their homes in the border town of Ras al-Ain, receive humanitarian aid.
There has been growing concern since the beginning of the operation that Turkey could be pressing for more control of the nation, according to a US official familiar with the situation in Syria.
The official told CNN that Turkey was trying to control an area that extends from the border of Iraq to northwestern Syria, an area inhabited mainly by Kurds and other minorities.
There are also concerns about what the raid could do for stability in the region, as well as the fight against ISIS.
Syrian rebels backed by Turkey and Turkish soldiers during their assault on border cities controlled by Kurds in northeastern Syria.
The SDFs have been a key US partner in the fight against ISIS, but shortly after Turkey launched its operation, the SDF suspended its anti-terrorist operations against the group to focus on the Turkish offensive.
A commander of the Kurdish forces guarding the Al-Hol camp told CNN on Friday that ISIS families had already tried to escape the camp.
Qamishlo said there was "civil disobedience" at the camp this Friday, when people tried to raze the tents and attack security personnel. The video images showed what appeared to be chaotic scenes inside the camp, which houses approximately 70,000 people displaced from areas controlled by ISIS, including family members of ISIS members.
- "The Americans sold us," say the Kurds who protect the US base in Syria
The Turkish operation "undermines the efforts of the United States"
A senior State Department official told CNN on Friday that the Turkish operation "undermines" the efforts of the United States, but failed to criticize President Donald Trump.
"It undermines our efforts to defeat ISIS by pulling these SDF forces away from the battle in the south and frankly forcing our troops to focus on the military aspects of the invasion," the official said.
For now, according to a US defense official, US troops are still located along with the SDFs in other parts of Syria and remain elsewhere, such as Manbij. While they are still “working” with the SDFs, the operations against ISIS have been suspended so that they do not carry out operations together, according to the same official.
An American military vehicle patrols a road near the city of Tal Baydar in the countryside of Hasakeh province in northeastern Syria on October 12.
Also on Friday, the Pentagon said US troops in Syria "were attacked by artillery from Turkish positions" and demanded that Turkey stop all operations that could require the United States to take "immediate defensive measures."
"US troops near Kobani were attacked by artillery from Turkish positions at approximately 9 pm local time on October 11," said Navy Captain Brook DeWalt, a Pentagon spokesman.
"The explosion occurred a few hundred meters from a location outside the Security Mechanism area and in an area that Turks know they have American forces."
The Pentagon's confirmation contrasts with the comments of the Turkish Ministry of Defense on the incident. The ministry issued a statement Friday night denying that its forces had fired at US troops in Syria and instead said Turkish troops were targeting nearby Kurdish fighters.
Clarissa Ward, Salma Abdelaziz, Eliza Mackintosh, Ryan Browne, Barbara Starr, Jennifer Hansler, Hamdi Alkhshali, Yusuf Gezer, Zahra Ullah, Isil Sariyuce, Gul Tuysuz and Bethlehem Feleke, all of CNN, contributed to inform.
War in SyriaRecep Tayyip Erdogan