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Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem dies at 79

The career diplomat was a steadfast supporter of the Syrian president's bloody crackdown on the opposition.
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Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, the veteran diplomat and prominent spokesman for the regime, died at the age of 79, state TV reported on Monday.

The official SANA agency said Moallem died early Monday morning and his remains would be transferred from the hospital to his burial place at al-Mezzeh cemetery. No cause of death was given, but Moallem has reportedly suffered from heart problems. In 2014, he received heart surgery in Lebanon.

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