Explosions tore through the heart of Damascus on Tuesday just as French President Emmanuel Macron met with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmad al-Sharaa. The blasts wounded at least four people, according to Syrian state media, casting a shadow over a landmark diplomatic visit aimed at rebuilding the war-torn nation.
Macron had just entered the presidential palace for his meeting with al-Sharaa when the detonations occurred near the Four Seasons Hotel, where the French president was reportedly staying.
The French president’s office quickly confirmed that Macron was safe and that his high-level talks with al-Sharaa were continuing uninterrupted. Macron is the first major Western leader to visit Syria since the transition of power, a trip scheduled just ahead of his upcoming attendance at a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
State television, citing an unnamed security official, reported that the two blasts were caused by explosive devices—one planted inside a garbage bin and another rigged to a parked car. The explosions occurred on a bustling street near the Tourism Ministry and the Damascus National Museum, sending a large plume of smoke into the sky.
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Footage circulating on social media showed a van and a motorcycle engulfed in flames, along with blood stains on the pavement. While Syrian authorities launched an immediate investigation at the scene, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The security official noted that several police officers were among the four wounded individuals.
The attack represents a significant challenge for President al-Sharaa, who assumed power after leading the insurgency that ousted Bashar al-Assad. Since taking control, al-Sharaa has focused heavily on projecting stability, reassuring skeptical minority groups, and winning the trust of Western governments wary of his past leadership of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Macron has been a pivotal figure in this diplomatic shift, successfully pushing European and American allies to drop the majority of their economic sanctions against Syria.
Arriving Monday night alongside a prominent economic delegation, the French president’s itinerary includes signing multiple memorandums of understanding to attract foreign investment for infrastructure projects. Syria requires hundreds of billions of dollars to recover from 14 years of devastating conflict that killed nearly half a million people and left the country’s economy in ruins.
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While Syria’s new leadership continues to clash with various armed factions across the country, the capital city of Damascus had remained largely peaceful until recently.
Tuesday’s blasts follow a separate bombing just days earlier at a cafe near the Justice Palace, which killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 20, raising fresh concerns over the security climate as the country attempts to transition to a new political era.
