Iraq's top Shia cleric has left for London to get treatment for a heart condition, airport officials in Beirut said today.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who has wide influence and has been a voice of moderation in postwar Iraq, landed in Beirut on a private plane. After a brief stopover he boarded a plane to London, officials said.
They said the 73-year-old cleric was able to walk with some help. There had been fears fighting in the holy city of Najaf, where he lives, could hamper his access to proper medical care.
One of Sistani's aides said yesterday that it was the first time he had experienced heart problems. The reclusive cleric has not left Najaf for years.