Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric was recovering Thursday from surgery for a fractured bone following an accident in his home, officials said.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who turns 90 later this year and whose opinion is often sought during troubled times, fractured a thigh bone when he slipped while bathing before evening prayers Wednesday night, two officials close to the cleric said.
The surgery was considered risky for his age and came amid ongoing tensions in
Iraq following the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general and a popular protest movement against the country’s ruling elite.