Syrian President Assad's 42-Year-Old Wife Being Treated for Breast Cancer

(Bloomberg) -- The wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is being treated for early stage breast cancer, according to official online media accounts.

The Syrian presidency Twitter and Facebook accounts posted pictures of Asma al-Assad, dressed in blue pants and white top, and her husband smiling at each other while she received intravenous treatment. “With strength, confidence and faith, Mrs. Asma al-Assad starts the first stage of treatment for a malignant tumor in the breast that was detected early,” according to the post accompanying the picture.

There were no other details. Asma al-Assad, who turns 43 on Saturday, has been married to the Syrian president since 2000. They have one daughter and two sons.

To contact the reporter on this story: Donna Abu-Nasr in Beirut at dabunasr@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Amy Teibel, Claudia Maedler

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