Assad forces attack Syria's Hama

AMMAN: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces launched an offensive on the city of Hama on Wednesday, bombarding residential neighbourhoods after armoured reinforcements advanced to the edge of the city in the last week, opposition activists said.

The neighbourhoods of Faraya, Olailat, Bashoura and al-Hamidiya came under bombardment from armoured vehicles and mobile mounted anti-aircraft guns as troops that had been amassing at an airport and an armoured brigade based south of Hama assaulted the city, Syria's fourth largest, they said.