Washington:
Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was in critical condition after doctors completed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta, the State Department said today.
"This morning, doctors completed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta. He is in critical condition and has been joined by his family," State Department spokesman P J Crowley said.
69-year-old Holbrooke was admitted to the intensive care unit of the nearby George Washington University and was being treated for blood clot, the ABC news reported.
He was meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when he gasped and clearly was undergoing some sort of medical situation, it added.
Holbrooke, the Obama Administration's point man for Afghanistan and Pakistan, has fallen ill when the annual Af-Pak policy review of White House is being carried out.
Holbrooke was appointed special envoy by President Barack Obama in the early weeks of his administration and has traveled frequently to Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as to other countries that are coordinating with the United States on policies toward both countries.