Eighteen people have been injured after two explosive devices detonated in central Damascus during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the Syrian government.
The blasts took place near the Four Seasons hotel, where Mr Macron had stayed overnight and met civil society representatives on Tuesday morning. French officials said the president was safe and did not hear the explosions. He later continued to the presidential palace for talks with Syria’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Syria’s interior ministry said security forces had identified two explosive devices, one in a parked car and another in a bin, before they detonated as specialists began work to make them safe. The account was reported by the Syrian state news agency Sana.
The ministry said four police officers were among those injured. The incident has drawn attention to the security pressures facing Syria’s authorities as the country seeks to rebuild diplomatic and economic links after years of war and political isolation.
No group has claimed responsibility. Nour al-Din al-Baba, a spokesman for the Syrian interior ministry, told reporters that investigators had found an initial lead pointing to those believed to be responsible. He said the devices had been placed shortly before the blasts, just outside the security perimeter set up for Mr Macron’s accommodation.
Video shared on social media showed security personnel and first responders close to a burning vehicle on a main road in the capital, near the tourism ministry. The footage then captured a second explosion a short distance away. BBC Verify said it had located the blasts about 125 metres from the Four Seasons hotel.
An eyewitness told BBC Arabic’s Middle East Daily that they had been standing near the tourism ministry when the first explosion happened. They said security forces began searching the area for suspicious items before a second blast occurred nearby. According to the witness, the first explosion caused damage, while the second injured members of the security and traffic police, as well as others in the area.
Syrian state television reported Mr Macron’s arrival at the presidential palace as news of the explosions was emerging. French officials said he had not been affected while travelling to meet Mr Sharaa.
Writing on social media after the incident, Mr Macron said his visit would continue and referred to the aspirations of Syrians for a safe and united country. At a later joint news conference, he said people should stand with those injured, maintain a firm approach to security and avoid being destabilised by the attack. Mr Sharaa praised the French president for continuing with the visit.
The trip was the first by a leader from the European Union since the fall of the Assad regime in 2024. It was intended to focus not only on security, but also on Syria’s severe economic difficulties and the wider question of reconstruction.
Mr Macron was accompanied by French business leaders and attended an economic forum. Syrian and French representatives signed 15 bilateral agreements covering areas including civil aviation, health and banking, according to the source material.
For residents of Damascus, the blasts are a reminder that daily life remains exposed to sudden security incidents despite the return of high level diplomatic visits. Explosions in central areas can disrupt transport, restrict access to public buildings and place additional pressure on emergency services, even when the apparent target is political or symbolic.
The wider security situation remains complex. Mr Sharaa, whose Islamist group led the rebel offensive that removed Bashar al-Assad, has pledged to unite a country divided by five decades of Assad family rule and a 13 year civil war. His government continues to face threats from armed groups, including Islamic State, which has claimed attacks in recent months.
Syrian state media reported last week that a bomb at a crowded cafe in central Damascus killed at least nine people and injured 22 others. The country has also faced violence involving pro-government forces and religious and ethnic minority communities, with hundreds reported killed last year.
The Damascus blasts did not stop the French president’s programme, but they underlined the risks surrounding Syria’s attempted return to international engagement. For the Syrian public, the immediate concern remains whether authorities can improve everyday security while also dealing with reconstruction, public services and the long-term effects of conflict.
