SouthernWorldwide.com – Two explosions occurred in Damascus, the capital of Syria, near the Four Seasons hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during a state visit, according to Syrian state media. The incidents took place on Tuesday.
The Syrian interior ministry reported that eighteen people were injured, including four police officers. The injuries were caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
According to the ministry, both bombs detonated after security forces had discovered them. This happened while preparations for their disposal were underway.
The bombs were reportedly placed inside a car and a garbage can in the vicinity of the hotel where President Macron was staying. This visit marks the first state visit to Syria by a leader from a Western country since Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa assumed leadership in 2025, succeeding former President Bashar al-Assad.
A spokesperson for the Élysée Palace stated that President Macron was not in his hotel at the time of the explosions and was unaware of them. He continued his visit with President al-Sharaa, as confirmed by both the Élysée Palace and SANA.
While not directly addressing the explosions, President Macron posted a statement on X shortly after the incident. His message conveyed that nothing can diminish the desire of Syrian citizens to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria. He added that he had met with Syrians from all walks of life that morning, witnessing their dignity, courage, and determination, and that his visit would continue.
Syria’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed the explosions. However, the ministry emphasized that the sites of the explosions were located outside the security perimeter established for President Macron.
The ministry announced through SANA that the explosion sites posed no direct threat to the residence or the official visit program, which was proceeding as scheduled.
President Macron is the first Western leader to meet with President al-Sharaa in Damascus since al-Sharaa became the country’s president in 2025. Some critics, including former President Donald Trump, who hosted al-Sharaa at the White House in November, have expressed concerns about Western leaders normalizing relations with al-Sharaa, given his past as a fighter for the al-Qaeda terrorist group.
The explosions in Damascus on Tuesday were the second and third major blasts in the city in less than a week.
On Monday, the French government condemned what it described as a “terrorist attack” after an explosive device killed at least nine people in a Damascus cafe on July 2.
Syrian authorities are still investigating the attack and have not publicly attributed it to any specific group or individual, according to The Washington Post.
