🔴French President Macron received with bombs in Damascus

Two explosions rocked central Damascus on Tuesday morning during a high-profile, landmark visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, injuring at least 18 people. The blasts occurred in a busy commercial district near the hotel where Macron had been holding meetings, highlighting the fragile security environment just two years after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.

Despite the nearby violence, the French Presidency confirmed that President Macron was safe, adding that his scheduled meetings with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa were continuing as planned.

Double Blast Targets Heart of the Capital

The explosions struck a bustling area located between the Syrian Tourism Ministry and the National Museum, directly across the street from the Four Seasons Hotel. According to Syria’s Interior Ministry, the coordinated attack was carried out via two explosive devices—one hidden in a garbage bin and another planted in a parked car.

Syria’s state news agency reported that the double bombing wounded at least 18 people, including four police officers. No deaths were immediately recorded.

The timeline of the incident points to a narrow window of timing:

• The First Blast: Struck shortly after the French presidential motorcade departed the area on its way to the presidential palace.
• The Second Blast: Detonated just moments later, caught on camera by a Reuters news crew only a few meters away.

Witnesses and video footage from the scene showed flames and heavy black smoke billowing from behind local shops, with one explosion detonating adjacent to an ambulance where a crowd of roughly two dozen onlookers had gathered to help.

Investigation Underway Amid Security Lockdown

No group has yet claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack. However, Syria’s state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV cited a security source who revealed that internal security forces have already launched sweeping search operations to identify those responsible.

A security source further told Reuters that major roads in the capital were immediately sealed off and heightened security protocols were implemented.

The incident follows a similar attack just last week, when a cafe bombing near the Justice Palace in Damascus killed at least 10 people. While the capital has remained largely peaceful since the 2024 political transition, a recent uptick in violence has been noted. Media reports indicate that the Islamic State group has claimed multiple attacks on government forces since February, when the militant faction announced a new phase of operations against the current Syrian administration.

Macron Signals Continued Support Despite Scramble

The Elysee Palace downplayed any immediate threat to the delegation, stating that the blasts were not audible from the presidential motorcade. A Reuters journalist traveling within the official press pool corroborated this, noting that they did not hear the explosions or witness any commotion during the morning’s itinerary. The French Presidency reiterated that Macron intended to fully stick to his itinerary for the rest of the day.

Photographs released later in the afternoon showed Macron standing alongside President Sharaa, meeting with Syrian cabinet officials and military leaders at the palace.

According to Macron’s office, the diplomatic trip—which represents the first visit by a major Western European or North American head of state since the end of the Assad regime—was designed to underscore Syria’s political transformation. Macron had previously hosted Sharaa in Paris in May 2025 and led the charge in persuading European and U.S. allies to lift the bulk of their long-standing economic sanctions on Damascus.

State-run news agency SANA noted that Macron arrived on Monday evening accompanied by a substantial economic delegation. The French leader aims to sign several memorandums of understanding to help inject foreign investment into the war-shattered nation, which faces a reconstruction bill estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

Before the blasts, Macron shared a statement on the social media platform X, declaring:

« I have come to express France’s commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbors. Together, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace. »

Following his meetings in Damascus, Macron is scheduled to travel directly to a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where President Sharaa is also expected to participate and hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

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