The Syrian capital, Damascus, was shaken by two explosions close to the downtown Four Seasons hotel, where French President Emmanuel Macron was residing during a state visit, Syrian state media reported on Tuesday.
The Syrian interior ministry, via state broadcaster SANA, confirmed that eighteen individuals, including four police officers, sustained injuries from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on Tuesday.
According to the ministry, both devices detonated while security forces were preparing to dispose of them, after their discovery.
The bombs were reportedly concealed within a car and a refuse bin near the hotel where President Macron was staying. This visit marks the first Syrian state visit by a Western leader since President Ahmed al-Sharaa assumed power in 2025, succeeding the deposed former President Bashar al-Assad.
A spokesperson for the Élysée Palace stated that President Macron was not at his hotel when the explosions occurred and was unaware of them. Both the Élysée Palace and SANA confirmed that his visit with President al-Sharaa proceeded as planned.
While not directly addressing the explosions, President Macron posted a statement on X shortly after the incident.
“Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria. This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage, and determination. My visit continues,” he wrote.
Syria’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed the blasts but emphasised that they occurred outside the designated security perimeter for President Macron.
“We confirm that the explosion site is outside the security perimeter designated for the French president’s residence. It posed no direct threat to the residence or the official visit program, which is proceeding as planned,” the ministry announced via SANA.
President Macron is the first Western leader to meet President al-Sharaa in Damascus since he became the country’s president in 2025. Some have criticised Western leaders, including President Donald Trump, who hosted al-Sharaa at the White House in November, for normalising relations with al-Sharaa given his past as a fighter for the al Qaeda terrorist group.
Tuesday’s explosions in Damascus were the second and third significant blasts in the city within a week.
On Monday, the French government condemned what it termed a “terrorist attack” after an explosive device killed at least nine people in a Damascus cafe on July 2.
Syrian authorities are continuing their investigation into the attack and have not publicly attributed it to any group or individual, according to The Washington Post.
Fox News Digital sought confirmation and further details from the Syrian Foreign Ministry and the Élysée Palace.
