Syrian President Hafez al-Assad died on Saturday in Damascus, state television said.

He was 69.

A political source told Reuters that Assad's son Bashar would succeed him.

The source said the veteran leader had died at 0800 GMT. There was no immediate word on the cause but Assad had suffered from heart problems and diabetes.

Assad's death occurred at a critical stage in the Middle East peace process and only a week before the opening of a key conference of the ruling Baath party that had been expected to elect his son as a member of the party's regional command.

It had also been expected that Bashar would be named vice-president.

Parliament held a special session to announce the president's death and decided to form a committee to amend the constitution to pave the way for Bashar's appointment as president.

The committee began meeting immediately and the parliament speaker said it would report to parliament within half an hour.

Members of parliament were seen openly weeping and gesticulating.