Bomb blast shakes Damascus during Macron's visit to Syria

DAMASCUS,— Two bombs went off near a Damascus hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron had stayed overnight, though his office said he did not hear the blasts and went ahead with a meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Tuesday.

Syrian officials said 18 people were hurt in the explosions, which cast a shadow over the first trip to Syria by a European Union head of state since Sharaa removed Bashar al-Assad from power in 2024.

The incident pointed to ongoing security risks in the country.

The blasts hit a crowded stretch of road between the Syrian Tourism Ministry and the national museum, across from the Four Seasons hotel.

A member of Macron’s delegation and Syrian security officials said the French leader had spent the night there and held talks with civil society groups Tuesday morning.

Macron wrote on X that his trip would go on as planned. He said nothing could weaken the wish of Syrians to live in a country that is fully independent and safe, adding that he had spent the morning meeting Syrians of many backgrounds and had come away impressed by their dignity and resolve.

The first bomb detonated shortly after Macron’s motorcade departed for the presidential palace.

Videos on social media showed fire and smoke rising from the site, and a second blast was recorded moments later just yards away, near a parked ambulance where roughly two dozen people had gathered. Rescue crews rushed to put out the fire near nearby shops.

Footage also showed Macron’s convoy driving toward the palace before the explosions, and Syrian state television later showed him standing with Sharaa and meeting Syrian officials and military commanders.

No group has said it carried out the attack.

Sharaa, once a commander with al Qaeda, has led efforts to stabilize and rebuild Syria since his rebel forces ousted Assad after a civil war lasting more than 13 years.

He has since built stronger ties with Western and Middle Eastern governments that had opposed Assad.

Islamic State, which fought against Sharaa’s forces during the war, has claimed several attacks on government troops since February, when it announced a new campaign against his administration.

Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron, Damascus, Syria, July 7, 2026. Photo: SANA

Syria’s Interior Ministry said security forces had located two homemade bombs near the Tourism Ministry and were working to disarm them when they exploded.

One device was hidden in a parked car and the other in a trash bin, both placed outside the secure zone around Macron’s hotel, meaning they posed no danger to him.

The ministry said internal security teams are now searching for suspects.

The French presidency said the blasts could not be heard from Macron’s motorcade, and a Reuters reporter traveling with the press group noted no disruption during his morning schedule.

A bombing at a Damascus cafe last week killed nine people and injured 20 others, with no group claiming responsibility.

Macron’s visit was meant to showcase Syria’s political shift under Sharaa, a member of the Sunni Muslim majority who has vowed to build an inclusive government after ending more than five decades of Assad family rule.

That pledge has faced strain from repeated violence between government forces and religious and ethnic minorities, which killed hundreds last year.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has a militant past, having been affiliated with both al-Qaeda and ISIS before going on to establish al-Nusra Front. That radical group was originally tied to al-Qaeda but later rebranded itself as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS.

(With files from Reuters)