At least 18 people were wounded in two explosions that struck the Syrian capital of Damascus on Tuesday while French President Emmanuel Macron was meeting Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in a landmark visit aimed at strengthening ties between Paris and Syria's new leadership.
According to Syria's Interior Ministry, one explosive device was hidden in a garbage bin while another was planted in a parked car. Four police officers were among the injured, and no fatalities were immediately reported.
The explosions marked the second attack in Damascus in less than a week and underscored the security challenges facing Syria's new authorities following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
A large plume of smoke was seen near the Four Seasons Hotel Damascus, where Syrian media said Macron was staying. Images circulating on social media showed burning vehicles and debris near the headquarters of the Tourism Ministry and the National Museum of Damascus.
An official from the French presidency confirmed that Macron was safe and that his meeting with al-Sharaa at the presidential palace continued despite the blasts.
Hours later, Macron reaffirmed France's support for Syria's transition, saying on social media that "nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria."
The French president's visit, the first by a major Western leader since Syria's political transition, is seen as a significant diplomatic boost for Damascus. During the visit, France and Syria signed more than a dozen agreements covering infrastructure reconstruction, financial reforms and the recovery of illicit assets linked to the Assad family.
Among the agreements is the launch of a process to return around €51 million ($58.3 million) in assets linked to Rifaat al-Assad, the late uncle of the former Syrian president. Other deals focus on rebuilding water and electricity infrastructure in the city of Homs, providing technical assistance to Syria's central bank and upgrading cargo facilities at Damascus International Airport.
The attacks nevertheless highlighted the difficult task facing al-Sharaa's government as it seeks to restore security, consolidate control over the country and attract international support for rebuilding a nation devastated by more than a decade of conflict.
The Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011, killed nearly half a million people, displaced millions more and left much of the country's infrastructure in ruins. Despite growing international engagement and investment pledges, Syria still requires hundreds of billions of dollars for reconstruction and economic recovery.
