He is 69-years old

Diplomat Richard Holbrooke in critical condition

Richard Holbrooke, President Barack Obama's 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.

The 69-year-old veteran US diplomat was a key figure in forging the 1995 accord that ended the Balkans war.

Holbrooke fell ill at the State Department on Friday. The department issued a statement saying Holbrooke was admitted to nearby George Washington University hospital on Friday.

"This morning, doctors completed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta," the statement said. "He is in critical condition and has been joined by his family."

The aorta is the body's biggest artery. An artery is a vessel that transports blood away from the heart to other parts of the body.

With a meteoric career that included stints in Vietnam as well as serving as the top US diplomat for East Asia, for Europe and at the United Nations, Holbrooke's most notable achievement was bringing all sides in the Bosnia conflict to the negotiating table at an air base in Dayton, Ohio. The resulting 1995 Dayton accords ended the conflict.

Holbrooke, who has worked as an executive in the financial sector when not at the State Department, was said to be a candidate for secretary of state before the job went to Hillary Clinton.