On 31 October, heavy clashes took place between the Syrian Army and Turkish forces near Ras al-Ayn, after the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army attacked several villages to the south of the town. Syrian state broadcaster SANA said the Turkish-backed forces were seizing a water plant and thus cutting off water to the Al-Hasakah Governorate. Turkey's defence ministry announced that it had detained 18 people it suspected were Syrian Army servicemen, which had reportedly attacked Turkish forces near the town.[38] It further stated that it had immediately entered into negotiations with Russia to release the captured soldiers.[39] The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that at least 5 Syrian Army servicemen had been killed by Turkish artillery shelling on the edge of the village of Assadiya.