Condition of Ariel Sharon worsens

The condition of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has worsened and he is undergoing an operation today, the hospital where he is being treated, said.

In light of a deterioration in his condition, doctors decided today to carry out a test to check his stomach, the hospital said.

In the check, doctors discovered that his digestive tract had been seriously damaged, the hospital said.

Sharon suffered a massive stroke on January 4 and has been unconscious ever since.