4 killed in militant shelling on Aleppo dormitories

DAMASCUS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Four civilians were killed and several university students were injured on Friday when armed groups fired shells at a dormitory complex in Aleppo city in northern Syria, state news agency SANA reported.

The shelling marks one of the deadliest attacks in recent months on the area as ultra-radical groups launched a large-scale offensive on military sites in Aleppo's western countryside starting from Wednesday.

In response, Syrian government forces intensified military operations with sustained artillery and missile strikes, bolstered by air power, on militant positions along the western countryside of Aleppo, according to pro-government Sham FM radio.

The offensive disrupted key supply lines and caused casualties among the militants, said the report.