Damascus blasts during Macron visit: One killed, 36 wounded, Syria says
Syrian authorities reported that explosions in central Damascus on Tuesday killed one person and wounded at least 36 others, while French President Emmanuel Macron was visiting the city.
Syria's state news agency, citing the Ministry of Health, updated the death toll Wednesday, saying one person had died and at least 36 were wounded in the explosions that struck the capital on Tuesday. The ministry stated that 31 of the wounded had minor injuries, while five others were hospitalized in stable condition.
The blasts occurred near the Ministry of Tourism and the Four Seasons Hotel in central Damascus, where Macron had spent the previous night. According to the Ministry of Interior, one bomb was placed inside a car parked on the roadside, and a second device was planted in a rubbish container. The bombs exploded while authorities were preparing to dismantle them.
Macron, the first European Union head of state to visit Syria since the ouster of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in 2024, had already left the hotel for the presidential palace and did not hear the explosions, according to his office. Macron pledged to continue his visit, saying at a news conference alongside Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa that they must not let themselves be destabilized. Al-Sharaa saluted Macron's courage for continuing the visit despite the bombings.
The attacks cast a shadow over the landmark visit as al-Sharaa attempts to rebuild the country's image after more than a decade of conflict. Five days earlier, a separate attack in Damascus killed 10 people at a cafe. Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani described Macron's visit as a pivotal point in relations between the two countries. They signed 15 bilateral agreements covering civil aviation, health, banking, water infrastructure, and roads. Al-Sharaa said he sees France as a primary partner for Damascus. Macron and al-Sharaa then traveled to Ankara, Turkey, to attend the annual NATO summit.
