Top Sunni cleric Tantawi dies of heart attack

Sunni Islam's top cleric Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, a controversial figure in Egypt, died on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia of a heart attack suffered while boarding a plane, state media said.

Tantawi was the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning. He had been in Riyadh to attend the King Faisal awards ceremony, Egypt's official MENA news agency said.