Syria says one killed, 36 wounded after Damascus blasts during Macron visit
✓Macron, who continued his visit after the blasts, said Syria must not be ‘destabilised’ by the attacks.
Syrian authorities say one person has died after explosions rocked Syria’s capital Damascus on Tuesday as French President Emmanual Macron visited the city.
Syria’s state news agency, citing the Ministry of Health, reported the updated toll on Wednesday and said at least 36 people were wounded in the blasts.
The ministry said 31 of those wounded had “minor injuries”, while five others were hospitalised in “stable condition”.
The blasts struck central Damascus near the Ministry of Tourism and the Four Seasons Hotel, a day after Macron had stayed the night there, reported Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto from the Syrian capital.
Syria’s Ministry of Interior said one bomb had been placed inside a car parked on the side of a road, while a second device was planted in a rubbish container. It said they exploded “while preparations were under way” to dismantle them.
Macron, the first European Union head of state to visit Syria since the 2024 ouster of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad, had already left the hotel for Syria’s presidential palace and did not hear the explosions, according to his office.
Macron pledged to continue his visit Tuesday, saying in a news conference alongside Syria’s President Ahmed el-Sharaaa that they must “not let ourselves be destabilised”.
Al-Sharaa saluted Macron’s “courage” for carrying on with his visit despite the bombings.
But the attacks cast a shadow over the landmark visit as al-Sharaa tries to rebuild the country’s image after more than a decade of conflict. Five days earlier, a separate attack in Damascus killed 10 people in a cafe.
Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Macron’s visit marked a “pivotal point” in relations between the two countries, which signed 15 bilateral agreements spanning civil aviation, health, banking, water infrastructure and roads.
Al-Sharaa said he envisions France as a “primary partner” for Damascus, which he said could play an important role in global transit following the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Macron and al-Sharaa have since travelled to Ankara, Turkiye, to attend the annual NATO summit.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗ · Sky News ↗
Two explosions occurred in central Damascus near the Ministry of Tourism and Four Seasons Hotel during French President Macron's visit to Syria. Syrian authorities reported one death and 36 wounded, with 31 cases classified as minor injuries and five hospitalised in stable condition. The Ministry of Interior said one device was placed in a parked car and another in a rubbish bin; both detonated while being dismantled. Macron had already left the hotel for the presidential palace and did not hear the explosions. He continued his scheduled activities, stating at a news conference that Syria must not be 'destabilised' by the attacks. During the visit, France and Syria signed 15 bilateral agreements covering civil aviation, health, banking, water infrastructure and roads. Syrian President Ahmed el-Sharaaa characterised Macron's decision to continue as courageous. The visit occurs amid broader regional developments, including disruptions to Strait of Hormuz transit routes. Macron and el-Sharaaa subsequently travelled to Ankara for the NATO summit.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗ · Sky News ↗
Macron, who continued his visit after the blasts, said Syria must not be ‘destabilised’ by the attacks.
Syrian authorities say one person has died after explosions rocked Syria’s capital Damascus on Tuesday as French President Emmanual Macron visited the city.
Syria’s state news agency, citing the Ministry of Health, reported the updated toll on Wednesday and said at least 36 people were wounded in the blasts.
The ministry said 31 of those wounded had “minor injuries”, while five others were hospitalised in “stable condition”.
The blasts struck central Damascus near the Ministry of Tourism and the Four Seasons Hotel, a day after Macron had stayed the night there, reported Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto from the Syrian capital.
Syria’s Ministry of Interior said one bomb had been placed inside a car parked on the side of a road, while a second device was planted in a rubbish container. It said they exploded “while preparations were under way” to dismantle them.
Macron, the first European Union head of state to visit Syria since the 2024 ouster of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad, had already left the hotel for Syria’s presidential palace and did not hear the explosions, according to his office.
Macron pledged to continue his visit Tuesday, saying in a news conference alongside Syria’s President Ahmed el-Sharaaa that they must “not let ourselves be destabilised”.
Al-Sharaa saluted Macron’s “courage” for carrying on with his visit despite the bombings.
But the attacks cast a shadow over the landmark visit as al-Sharaa tries to rebuild the country’s image after more than a decade of conflict. Five days earlier, a separate attack in Damascus killed 10 people in a cafe.
Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Macron’s visit marked a “pivotal point” in relations between the two countries, which signed 15 bilateral agreements spanning civil aviation, health, banking, water infrastructure and roads.
Al-Sharaa said he envisions France as a “primary partner” for Damascus, which he said could play an important role in global transit following the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Macron and al-Sharaa have since travelled to Ankara, Turkiye, to attend the annual NATO summit.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗ · Sky News ↗
Two explosions occurred in central Damascus on Tuesday during French President Macron's visit One person died and 36 were wounded according to Syria's state news agency and Ministry of Health 31 of the wounded had minor injuries and five were hospitalised in stable condition One bomb was placed in a parked car and another in a rubbish container, according to Syria's Ministry of Interior Both devices detonated while preparations were underway to dismantle them Macron had already left the hotel for the presidential palace and did not hear the explosions Macron stated that Syria must not be 'destabilised' by the attacks France and Syria signed 15 bilateral agreements covering civil aviation, health, banking, water infrastructure and roads This was the first EU head-of-state visit to Syria since the 2024 ouster of Bashar al-Assad El-Sharaaa saluted Macron's 'courage' for carrying on with his visit The attacks cast a shadow over the landmark visit Syria's Foreign Minister characterised the visit as a 'pivotal point' in Franco-Syrian relations
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗ · Sky News ↗
- Two explosions in central Damascus killed one person and wounded 36 others during French President Macron's visit to Syria on Tuesday
- Syrian authorities said one bomb was in a parked car and another in a rubbish container; both detonated during disposal attempts
- Macron, who had left the hotel before the blasts, continued his visit and pledged not to be 'destabilised' by the attacks
- The visit resulted in 15 bilateral agreements between France and Syria covering aviation, health, banking, infrastructure and roads
- This marks the first EU head-of-state visit to Syria since the 2024 ouster of Bashar al-Assad