Two explosions caused by improvised explosive devices were reported near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron is staying during his official visit to Damascus, according to a security source. Syria’s Interior Ministry said 18 people, including four police officers, were injured in the blasts. Reports said Macron’s convoy had left the hotel shortly before the explosions to travel to the presidential palace for talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The French presidency confirmed that Macron was safe and that his schedule in Syria would continue as planned. The visit marks the first trip by a major Western leader to Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. Talks are expected to focus on Syria’s reconstruction, foreign investment and future relations between Damascus and the European Union.
