Syria: Joint Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, Ahrar al-Sham forces advance into Turkish-controlled Afrin

A joint force of the former al Qaeda offshoot Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Ahrar al-Sham advanced into the Afrin town, which is under the control of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), as the two sides were clashing over territorial disputes. Despite having close ties to Turkey and the SNA, Ahrar al-Sham reportedly had territorial disputes with other factions of the group and, as a result, turned to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) for support. Meanwhile, a truce was reached between the groups backed by Turkey to stop the fighting between them, as Ahrar al-Sham members have reportedly withdrawn from new-controlled areas.