(Previous Incident Code: S403a )

On January 17, 2017 at least nine civilians – at least five of whom were children – were killed in airstrikes at Tadef near al Bab, as heavy clashes continued with ISIL for control of the strategic city.

Step News, Al Bab News, Syria News Desk and the Syrian Observatory blamed Turkey for the attack, while LCCSY said Russia was responsible. The Syrian Network instead said that “8 civilians, including a girl and a woman, died in International Coalition warplanes missiles fired on Tadef city.”

However, Abdulkarim Laila (who put the death count at seven) blamed Russia – as did LCCSY.

A Facebook post from account ‘Event 24’ attributed the incident to the Turkish Airforce, and said that the majority of those killed were children. The post was accompanied by pictures of nine children – some of whom appeared injured and others killed. Looking at the images, Airwars has recorded three of the children as killed and six injured, though it is possible more of the photographed children were killed.

On January 25, 2025, the Facebook account ‘Tadif City Coordination’ shared a post, announcing that “The body of 10-year-old Mohammed Amer Al-Jawad was recovered today, ten years after he went missing. He was found under the rubble of a building in the vegetable market in Al-Habousa, Tadif, a site heavily bombed by the international coalition, resulting in a horrific massacre that claimed the lives of more than 20 martyrs.” The post added that “Several months ago, the body of Sarah al Aido was recovered from the same site, reopening the wounds and confirming that the truth remains buried beneath the debris.”

Syria News Desk reported an eyewitness in the town as saying that “Turkish aircraft targeted homes in the main market area of the city center, explaining that most of the injured are children and the elderly, confirming the presence of 11 in serious condition. There are also three unrecognisable bodies. The source added that the raids are fully resulted in the destruction of two residential buildings and damaged a number of nearby building.”