World Bulletin / News Desk

The preacher of Emevi Mosque Muhammad Said Ramazan el-Buti and many others were killed when a suicide bomber entered the Iman Mosque in Damascus's Mezra'a region on Thursday.

Syrian state television reported that el-Buti and many others praying at the mosque were killed in the suicide blast.

Ramazan El Buti was known for his pro-Assad stance since the incidents began in Syria three years ago.

Buti was the Dean of the Religious Studies Faculty of the Damascus University. He authored many books on Islam.

Born in Cizre town (of Turkey) in 1929, Ramazan el-Buti was regarded as one of the foremost Kurdish scholars.

Following the suicide blast, the Syrian Health Ministry said that at least 42 people were killed in the mosque.

Both the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the Nusra Front condemned the suicide blast.

Releasing a written statement, the Spokesperson for the FSA, Abdulhamid Zekeriya underlined that the suicide blast was not conducted by them.

"We strongly condemn today's suicide blast," Zekeriya noted.