Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi on Monday toured battle-scarred Aleppo for the first time since the outbreak of fighting in the northern city in July, state television said. \"The prime minister went to Aleppo at the head of a delegation to assess the hardships faced by the city due to the criminal actions of terrorist gangs,\" the broadcaster said. Rebels fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have been locked in fierce battles with government troops since July to control Aleppo, Syria\'s second city and commercial hub.