Senior Cleric Killed in Damascus Suicide Bombing - East Idaho News
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Senior Cleric Killed in Damascus Suicide Bombing

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GETTY W 010612 Damascus?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1363910092106iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DAMASCUS, Syria) — A deadly suicide bombing inside a Damascus mosque on Thursday killed senior cleric Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Bouti, one of the most notable Sunni supporters of the current regime.

According to the New York Times, at least 42 people were killed in the attack and at least 84 were injured. Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Bouti was the imam of the largest Sunni mosque in Syria, and was a support for President Bashar al-Assad — especially early in the conflict — despite the fact the insurgency drew its numbers heavily from the Sunni population.

Initial reports indicated that the attack was a suicide bombing, but the circumstances surrounding the explosion are still unclear.

The bombing came on the heels of the announcement by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon that the governing body would be investigating the possible use of chemical weapons during the Syrian conflict.

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