The blasts struck shortly after the French president’s convoy departed. Elysée officials confirmed he is safe and unharmed.
Allison Boedges, Clea Caulcutt
“We are currently at the presidential palace where the expanded meeting between the presidents and their delegation is taking place,” an Elysée official told POLITICO.
The blasts occurred just outside Syria’s Ministry of Tourism, near the Four Seasons hotel where Macron held meetings Tuesday morning.
Syria’s Ministry of the Interior reported 18 people injured, including four police officers. Both devices were improvised, said the ministry. The first blast came from inside a trash container and the second from a parked car, which detonated near an ambulance a few meters away.
This visit marks the first time a European head of state has visited Damascus since 2024, when groups led by al-Sharaa brought an end to the administration of Bashar al-Assad. It was meant to showcase the transformation of Syrian politics under the new president, who has worked to establish positive relations with Western powers.
