Washington: The US State Department has said it welcomed the killing of Hezbollah commander Emad Mughnieh, who died in a car bomb attack in Syria on Wednesday.

However it said it did not know who was responsible for his death while Syria described it as a “cowardly terrorist act''.

State department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "The world is a better place without this man in it.

“He was a cold-blooded killer, a mass murderer and a terrorist responsible for countless innocent lives lost.

“One way or another he was brought to justice."