ay as ▁was ▁an ▁ancient ▁tradition ▁passed ▁down ▁by ▁generation ▁to ▁Sad ad ' s ▁inhabitants . ▁Sad ad ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁market ▁town ▁for ▁the ▁Bed ou in ▁of ▁the ▁region , ▁where ▁they ▁came ▁to ▁purchase ▁cl othing , ▁tent ▁equipment , ▁s add les , ▁coffee ▁be ans , ▁tea ▁and ▁other ▁supplies . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Civil ▁War , ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁over run ▁by ▁Islam ist ▁milit ants ▁reported ly ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁al - N us ra ▁Front , ▁who ▁set ▁up ▁loud spe akers ▁in ▁the ▁main ▁square , ▁calling ▁for ▁residents ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁their ▁houses . ▁At ▁least ▁nine ▁people ▁were ▁reported ▁killed , ▁as ▁Sy rian ▁Army ▁forces ▁were ▁sent ▁in ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁October ▁to ▁try ▁and ▁re take ▁the ▁town , ▁spark ing ▁fier ce ▁resistance ▁from ▁the ▁milit ants . ▁Loc als ▁were ▁uns ure ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁reason ▁behind ▁the ▁attack , ▁though ▁medical ▁supplies ▁within ▁the ▁town ' s ▁hospital ▁were ▁a ▁possibility , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁a ▁military ▁dep ot ▁nearby . ▁By ▁ 2 8 ▁October , ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Arab ▁Army ▁had ▁taken ▁back ▁control ▁of ▁Sad ad . ▁Vis iting ▁church ▁leaders ▁and ▁returning ▁vill agers ▁found ▁two ▁mass ▁gra ves ▁of ▁civ ili ans , ▁including ▁women ▁and ▁children , ▁containing ▁ 3 0 ▁bodies . ▁They ▁were ▁sus pected ▁of ▁being ▁mass ac red