DAMASCUS: Syria's Al-Watan newspaper, considered close to the regime, criticised the government on Tuesday for failing to better address the devastation in the country's second city of Aleppo.
The rare criticism comes as government troops make progress in Aleppo province, retaking the town of Sfeira, southeast of Aleppo city and discussing the possibility of reopening Aleppo's airport after nearly a year of closure.
The newspaper said the government of Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi had failed to dispatch its economic team to Aleppo city "despite the invitation of the governor and the improvement in the security situation, thanks to the sacrifices made by the Syrian army and resistance of the residents in the face of terrorists."
The regime and its media outlets use the term "terrorists" for the opposition.