Several people were injured after explosive devices exploded in central Damascus, apparently near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying.
A security source told the BBC that the explosions were caused by two devices. Syrian media reported that 18 people, including four police officers, were injured.
Macron is in the capital for talks with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa at the presidential palace. His officials said he was safe and did not hear the explosions.
After his trip to Syria, Macron is expected to travel to Türkiye for the NATO summit. The visit “continues as planned”, according to the Elysée.
Following reports of explosions in the city, videos and images on social media showed plumes of smoke and flames rising from a vehicle near a hotel in the Syrian capital.
As this information came in, Syrian state television said al-Sharaa had welcomed Macron to the presidential palace.
BBC Verify’s analysis of footage of the blast located the explosions around 125 meters from the Four Seasons hotel, on a main thoroughfare through the capital.
Writing on social media after the explosions, Macron said: “Nothing can stifle the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, secure, pluralistic and united Syria.
“This morning, I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage and determination. My visit continues.”
Macron arrived in Syria on Monday evening, becoming the first EU leader to visit Syria since Al-Sharaa came to power following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. The trip highlights Syria’s return to the world stage after years of international isolation.
Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander from Syria’s Sunni Muslim majority, has vowed to unify a divided country after five decades of repressive Assad family rule and 13 years of devastating civil war.
The explosions in Damascus underscore the major security challenges authorities face from various militants, including the Islamic State group, which has claimed a series of attacks on government targets in recent months.
Pro-government forces have also been involved in violence against religious and ethnic minority groups that killed hundreds of people last year.
At the beginning of July, a Bomb explodes in crowded cafe in central Damascus killed at least nine people and injured 22 others, according to Syrian state media.
Besides security issues, Macron’s visit also focuses on Syria’s difficult economic situation, with reconstruction being one of the main themes.
Additional reporting by Richard Irvine-Brown
