CONFLICT
HTS Militants Storm Afrin, Take Control of City
In what came as a bit of a surprise to anyone who follows the conflict in Syria, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants stormed and captured the key Syrian city of Afrin, which sits in the northwest corner of Aleppo Province and has been controlled by militants of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) since 2018 during Turkey's Operation Olive Branch. The opportunity was prime, however, as infighting between factions of the SNA left the security situation in the area fragile following the assassination of a well known social figure from the area.