Explosions rock Damascus, wounding 18, as French President Macron visits Syria
✓Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace in Damascus, Syria on Tuesday. Ghaith Alsayed/AP hide caption
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Ghaith Alsayed/AP
DAMASCUS, Syria — Explosions rocked Damascus on Tuesday as France's president met with his Syrian counterpart in a landmark visit, wounding at least 18 people, Syria's Interior Ministry said.
Emmanuel Macron had entered the presidential palace to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa when the explosions happened near the Four Seasons Hotel, where Syrian media report that the French president is staying.
An Elysee official said Macron was safe and that his meeting with al-Sharaa was continuing. He is the first major Western leader to visit Syria since al-Sharaa came to power and his visit comes before he heads to a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Macron's whereabouts and security.
But the explosions are a blow for al-Sharaa, who came to power after leading an insurgency that ousted Bashar Assad in 2024.
He has since pushed to assert full control and bring stability in war-torn Syria, appeal to minorities skeptical of his Islamist-led rule, and win the support of Western governments who were skeptical of his past as leader of the formerly al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. His government has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule.
Macron played a major role in pushing Europe and the United States to drop most sanctions on Syria. He arrived in the country Monday night with an economic delegation, and is scheduled to sign memorandums of understanding with his counterpart as the battered country tries to lure investors to help it rebuild after 14 years of war.
The Interior Ministry in a statement reported by Syrian state media said that the two blasts in the heart of the capital were caused by explosive devices, one placed in a garbage bin and the other in a parked car. It added that four of the wounded were police officers, and no deaths were immediately reported. An investigation is currently taking place at the scene of the attack.
A large plume of smoke could be seen from the site. The area is on a busy street in Damascus and is near the headquarters of the Tourism Ministry and the Damascus National Museum.
Footage widely circulated on social media showed a van and a motorcycle on fire and blood stains on the street.
No group immediately claimed responsibility.
The incident comes days after an explosive device was detonated in a cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 20.
While Syria's new rulers have wrestled with violence involving different groups in the country as they work to assert control, the capital has largely been peaceful during the turbulent period.
The conflict in Syria killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions. Syria's infrastructure lies in ruins, and while other nations and businesses have made large investment pledges, the country still needs hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild and lift millions out of poverty.
Before arriving at the presidential palace, Macron met with members of Syrian civil society, though his office did not give details on who.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗ · BBC ↗ · NPR ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · Sky News ↗
Two explosions occurred in central Damascus on Tuesday near a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying, as he met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the presidential palace. Syria's Interior Ministry said the blasts, caused by explosive devices placed in a garbage bin and a parked car, wounded at least 18 people including four police officers, with no immediate deaths reported. Macron, who arrived Monday with an economic delegation, remained safe and continued his meeting with al-Sharaa, marking the first major Western leader visit since al-Sharaa came to power in 2024 after an insurgency ousted Bashar Assad. The French president has pushed Europe and the United States to lift most sanctions on Syria to enable reconstruction and foreign investment in a country devastated by 14 years of war. No group claimed responsibility for the explosions, which occurred days after another bombing near the Justice Palace killed at least 10 people.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗ · BBC ↗ · NPR ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · Sky News ↗
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace in Damascus, Syria on Tuesday. Ghaith Alsayed/AP hide caption
toggle caption
Ghaith Alsayed/AP
DAMASCUS, Syria — Explosions rocked Damascus on Tuesday as France's president met with his Syrian counterpart in a landmark visit, wounding at least 18 people, Syria's Interior Ministry said.
Emmanuel Macron had entered the presidential palace to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa when the explosions happened near the Four Seasons Hotel, where Syrian media report that the French president is staying.
An Elysee official said Macron was safe and that his meeting with al-Sharaa was continuing. He is the first major Western leader to visit Syria since al-Sharaa came to power and his visit comes before he heads to a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Macron's whereabouts and security.
But the explosions are a blow for al-Sharaa, who came to power after leading an insurgency that ousted Bashar Assad in 2024.
He has since pushed to assert full control and bring stability in war-torn Syria, appeal to minorities skeptical of his Islamist-led rule, and win the support of Western governments who were skeptical of his past as leader of the formerly al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. His government has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule.
Macron played a major role in pushing Europe and the United States to drop most sanctions on Syria. He arrived in the country Monday night with an economic delegation, and is scheduled to sign memorandums of understanding with his counterpart as the battered country tries to lure investors to help it rebuild after 14 years of war.
The Interior Ministry in a statement reported by Syrian state media said that the two blasts in the heart of the capital were caused by explosive devices, one placed in a garbage bin and the other in a parked car. It added that four of the wounded were police officers, and no deaths were immediately reported. An investigation is currently taking place at the scene of the attack.
A large plume of smoke could be seen from the site. The area is on a busy street in Damascus and is near the headquarters of the Tourism Ministry and the Damascus National Museum.
Footage widely circulated on social media showed a van and a motorcycle on fire and blood stains on the street.
No group immediately claimed responsibility.
The incident comes days after an explosive device was detonated in a cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 20.
While Syria's new rulers have wrestled with violence involving different groups in the country as they work to assert control, the capital has largely been peaceful during the turbulent period.
The conflict in Syria killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions. Syria's infrastructure lies in ruins, and while other nations and businesses have made large investment pledges, the country still needs hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild and lift millions out of poverty.
Before arriving at the presidential palace, Macron met with members of Syrian civil society, though his office did not give details on who.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗ · BBC ↗ · NPR ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · Sky News ↗
Two explosions occurred near the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus on Tuesday, wounding at least 18 people. Macron was at the presidential palace meeting with al-Sharaa when the explosions happened. Syria's Interior Ministry reported the blasts were caused by explosive devices—one in a garbage bin, one in a parked car. Four of the wounded were police officers; no deaths were immediately reported. No group has claimed responsibility for the explosions. This incident is a blow for al-Sharaa, who came to power after leading an insurgency that ousted Bashar Assad in 2024. Macron played a major role in pushing Europe and the United States to drop most sanctions on Syria. Macron arrived with an economic delegation and is scheduled to sign memorandums of understanding to support Syria's reconstruction. The explosions represent a challenge to al-Sharaa's efforts to assert full control and bring stability while appealing to minorities and winning Western support. Another explosive device was detonated in a cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus days earlier, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 20.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗ · BBC ↗ · NPR ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · Sky News ↗
- Two explosions near the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus wounded at least 18 people during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Tuesday.
- Syria's Interior Ministry reported the blasts were caused by explosive devices—one in a garbage bin, one in a parked car—with no deaths immediately reported.
- Macron, leading Europe's push to lift sanctions on Syria, arrived Monday with an economic delegation and is scheduled to sign agreements to support Syria's post-war reconstruction.
- No group has claimed responsibility; the incident follows another bombing days earlier near the Justice Palace that killed at least 10 people.
- Al-Sharaa took power in 2024 after ousting Bashar Assad and is attempting to stabilize the country and attract Western investment after 14 years of conflict.