The Mufti of Damascus, one of the most senior Muslim leaders in Syria, was assassinated Thursday after a bomb was strapped to his car, state media reported.
“Sheikh Mohammad al-Afiouni, Mufti of Damascus and its outskirts, was martyred after a terrorist bombing targeted his car... in Damascus’ Qudsaya town,” the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
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SANA said that his vehicle was planted with a bomb. No other details were provided.
Sheikh al-Afiouni had been seen leading prayers with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on multiple occasions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said he played a key role in reaching reconciliation deals with rebel fighters on the capital's outskirts during the country's nine-year war.
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- With AFP
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