Two bomb attacks rocked Syria's capital Damascus on Tuesday near a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during his visit, wounding 18 people, including four police officers, according to Syrian state media.
Explosions Near Four Seasons Hotel
One of the bombs was placed inside a parked car on the side of a road, while a second bomb was planted in a garbage bin, Syria's interior ministry said. The bombs exploded "while preparations were underway" to dismantle them. At least one explosion echoed through the capital before a plume of smoke was seen rising near the Four Seasons Hotel, where Macron was staying. Security personnel closed one road and ambulances rushed to the scene, AFP reported.
Macron was not inside the hotel when the explosions hit. He had already left for Syria's presidential palace to meet Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to reports.
Macron's Visit Continues as Planned
France's Elysee Palace said Macron's trip would continue as planned. Macron is the first Western European leader to visit Syria since former president Bashar al-Assad was ousted in 2024, per AFP. The explosions came after Syrian state television announced Macron's arrival at the presidential palace.
The French president is meeting with his Syrian counterpart to discuss post-war reconstruction of Syria, reiterating his call for "unity" and "plurality." Macron has also reportedly met with civil society representatives. The two had previously met in May 2025 when Macron hosted Sharaa in Paris, where he urged European and American leaders to lift sanctions on Damascus, with most of those sanctions having since been lifted, The Independent reported.
Second Bombing in Days
Tuesday's bomb attacks were the second in Damascus in a matter of days. Ten people were killed last Thursday in a bombing at a cafe. For security reasons, Macron had postponed announcing his visit date until his plane landed in Syria on Monday.
After his meeting with Sharaa, Macron was scheduled to attend an economic forum to discuss Syria's "reconstruction and strategic corridors," AFP reported. Macron was accompanied by several economic experts, including Rodolphe Saade, chief executive of maritime transport giant CMA CGM, and TotalEnergies chairman Patrick Pouyanne.
Since Assad's ousting in December 2024, Sharaa has attempted to restart Syria's international credentials and revive its economy. The last French president to visit Syria was Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009, before Assad crushed pro-democracy protests in 2011, sparking a conflict that killed more than half a million people while also devastating the country's infrastructure and industry, per AFP.
Macron is scheduled to travel to Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday night for a NATO summit, where he'll hold talks on Wednesday with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, AFP reported.
