Daijiworld Media Network – Damascus
Damascus, Jul 8: At least 18 people were injured after two explosions struck Syria's capital, Damascus, on Tuesday during French President Emmanuel Macron's landmark visit to the country, Syrian authorities said.
The blasts, the second such attack in the capital within a week, occurred while Macron was meeting Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the presidential palace. French officials confirmed that Macron was safe and that the meeting continued as scheduled.
According to Syria's Interior Ministry, one explosive device had been concealed in a garbage bin while another was placed inside a parked car. Four police officers were among the injured, and no fatalities were immediately reported.
A large plume of smoke was seen rising near the Four Seasons Hotel, where Syrian media reported Macron was staying. Videos circulating on social media showed a van and a motorcycle engulfed in flames near the Tourism Ministry and the Damascus National Museum.
Hours after the attack, Macron reaffirmed France's support for Syria's reconstruction.
"Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria," Macron said in a post on X.
Despite the explosions, Macron and al-Sharaa announced that France and Syria had agreed to reappoint ambassadors, restoring full diplomatic ties after more than a decade. France had closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012 during the civil war and symbolically reopened it earlier this year.
Describing the visit as a "historical milestone", al-Sharaa said the renewed diplomatic engagement marked a new chapter in relations between the two countries.
Macron's visit also resulted in the signing of more than a dozen agreements aimed at supporting Syria's reconstruction. The agreements include plans to return around €51 million in illicit assets linked to Rifaat Assad, uncle of former president Bashar Assad, rebuild water and electricity infrastructure in Homs, provide technical assistance to Syria's Central Bank, and strengthen cargo infrastructure at Damascus International Airport.
The attack poses a fresh security challenge for al-Sharaa's government, which has been seeking to stabilise the country following the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar Assad by insurgent groups in late 2024. While sporadic violence has continued in parts of Syria, Damascus had remained relatively calm until the recent attacks.
Last week, an explosion at a café near the Justice Palace in Damascus killed at least 10 people and injured more than 20.
Syria's new leadership has been working to strengthen ties with Western nations and attract international investment to rebuild the country after more than a decade of civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions and devastated infrastructure.
Following his visit to Damascus, Macron was scheduled to travel to Ankara, Turkey, for a NATO summit, which Syrian President al-Sharaa is also expected to attend.