Two bombs explode near French leader’s hotel; 18 hurt, Macron unharmed and visit continues
Two explosions tore through central Damascus on Tuesday, just after French President Emmanuel Macron left the Four Seasons hotel where he had spent the night, during his historic visit to Syria. Syrian authorities said 18 people were wounded, including four police officers, in the two blasts near the hotel.
One device exploded beside the Four Seasons, while the second went off near the nearby Ministry of Tourism. Syrian state media said both devices were crudely made one hidden inside a parked car, the other planted in a garbage container.
Macron had already departed for the presidential palace to meet Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and his convoy did not hear the blasts. The Élysée Palace confirmed he was safe and that the visit would proceed as planned.
Macron is the first major Western leader to visit Syria since al-Sharaa took power, arriving ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara. The attack came less than a week after a separate bombing killed nine people in a Damascus café. Authorities have launched an investigation; no group has claimed responsibility.
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