DAMASCUS: Two explosions struck an area near a hotel hosting French President Emmanuel Macron in Damascus on Tuesday, injuring at least 18 people, including four police officers, on the second day of his official visit to Syria.
AFP journalists reported hearing at least one explosion before seeing a plume of smoke rising near the Four Seasons Hotel, where Macron had been staying. Security forces sealed off roads around the area as ambulances rushed to the scene.
A Syrian security source told AFP that one explosive device had been concealed in a dumpster, while another was placed inside a vehicle near the hotel.
Syrian state media said 18 people were wounded in the blasts, including four police officers.
Macron Safe, Visit Continues
Macron had already departed the hotel for the presidential palace before the explosions occurred. An AFP team witnessed his arrival at the palace for talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The French presidency confirmed that Macron would continue his visit despite the explosions.
An AFP photographer near the Syrian tourism ministry, opposite the hotel, reported damage to nearby windows and a heavy deployment of security personnel.
“I saw three traffic police officers injured on the ground, before the area was evacuated and the roads leading to it were closed,” Hamam Hammoud, an employee at a money exchange company, told AFP.
Reconstruction Talks
Macron’s visit focuses on Syria’s post-war reconstruction and efforts to promote national unity and political inclusiveness. During his trip, he is scheduled to hold talks with Syrian officials, meet representatives of civil society and participate in an economic forum on reconstruction and strategic transport corridors.
The French delegation includes senior business leaders, among them Rodolphe Saadé and Patrick Pouyanné.
Security Concerns
The explosions were the second reported in Damascus within a week. Last Thursday, a bombing at a café in the Syrian capital killed 10 people.
Security concerns had already prompted the French presidency to keep the timing of Macron’s visit confidential until his aircraft landed in Damascus on Monday.
Macron is the first Western European leader to visit Syria since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in 2024. The last French president to visit the country was Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009.
In May 2025, Macron hosted Ahmed al-Sharaa in Paris during the Syrian leader’s first official visit to a European country.
