At least 18 people, including four police officers, were injured on Tuesday when explosions rocked the Syrian capital Damascus while French President Emmanuel Macron was inside the Presidential Palace meeting Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syrian state television reported.
The blasts occurred near the Four Seasons Hotel, where Macron had been staying, and near the Ministry of Tourism in the heart of the capital. Syrian state media, citing an unnamed security official, said the explosions were caused by explosive devices planted on a vehicle near Victoria Bridge.
No group immediately claimed responsibility.
Footage circulated on social media showed a vehicle on fire and blood stains on the street. A large plume of smoke was visible from the site.
Roads were sealed off and security forces deployed to the area following the blasts.
The Elysee Palace said Macron did not hear the explosions and that his schedule remained unchanged.
“I am here to affirm France’s commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbours. Together, let’s open a new page of stability and peace,” Macron wrote on X.
Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday as the first head of state of a European Union country to visit Syria since rebels led by al-Sharaa toppled former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
He was accompanied by a business delegation including the chief executives of TotalEnergies and French container shipping group CMA CGM, with Syria’s reconstruction among the key themes of the visit.
The explosions come days after a separate blast at a cafe near the Palace of Justice in central Damascus killed at least ten people and wounded 21 others on Thursday.
(The Whistler)