Damascus blasts wound 18 as Macron visits Syria

Two blasts wounded 18 people in central Damascus on Tuesday near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron had spent the night.

The explosions struck moments before Syrian state television announced his arrival at the presidential palace to meet Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. France's Elysee Palace said Macron's visit is continuing.

What caused the explosions in Damascus?

Syria's interior ministry said the blasts came from two improvised devices, one planted in a car parked roadside and another hidden inside a garbage container. Security forces had already found the devices and were working to dismantle them when both exploded. Four police officers were among the 18 people injured, the ministry said.

Where did the Damascus blasts happen?

A security source told AFP the devices were placed near the Four Seasons hotel, where Macron had stayed overnight. AFP journalists heard at least one blast and saw smoke rising near the hotel as security forces shut down nearby roads and ambulances rushed to the scene.

An AFP photographer near the tourism ministry, across from the hotel, saw windows shattered by one of the blasts amid a heavy security presence. The second explosion hit near Victoria Bridge, about 200 meters from the hotel.

Hamam Hammoud, a 37-year-old money exchange employee, told AFP he saw three traffic police officers injured on the ground before the area was cleared and roads closed.

Was Macron injured in the Damascus explosions?

Macron had already left the hotel before the blasts occurred, and his convoy did not hear them, according to two AFP journalists traveling with him. Earlier Tuesday, he had met with civil society representatives at the Four Seasons before heading to the presidential palace. Hotel security asked those who had met with him to shelter in the parking garage as a precaution, an attendee told AFP.

Macron is the first Western leader to visit Syria since Bashar al-Assad's fall in 2024. He had delayed announcing his visit date until his plane landed on Monday, citing security concerns. Tuesday's blasts mark the second attack in Damascus since Thursday, when a bombing at a cafe killed 10 people.