4 killed as bomb strikes Sunni cleric's convoy

2:48 PM, Aug 19, 2012   |    comments
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BAGHDAD (AP) - A Sunni cleric in Iraq has been critically wounded in a bomb attack on his convoy that killed four of his bodyguards.

A Sunni religious official says the attack occurred shortly after the cleric had finished leading prayers at a Baghdad mosque to mark the beginning of the Eid al-Fitr (ayd ahl-FIH'-tur) holiday, which follows the holy month of Ramadan.

Two police officers and a hospital official confirmed the attack.

The wounded cleric has sided with the government against Sunni extremists. Earlier this year, he called for a unified religious authority to bridge the gap between Iraq's Sunnis and Shiites.

Insurgents often target Sunni clerics seen as working closely with the Shiite-led government.