A prominent Syrian Muslim cleric in charge of the Damascus region was killed Thursday when a bomb planted in his car exploded outside the capital, state news agency SANA said.

 

Adnan al-Afiyuni, the Sunni Muslim mufti for Damascus province, was considered to be close to President Bashar al-Assad.

 

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.