Explosions have rocked Damascus as France’s president met his Syrian counterpart in a landmark visit, wounding at least four people.
Emmanuel Macron had entered the presidential palace to meet Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa when the explosions happened near the Four Seasons Hotel.
Syrian media reported that Macron was staying at the Four Seasons. The French president’s office said he was safe and that his meeting with Mr Al-Sharaa was continuing. Macron is the first major western leader to visit Syria since Al-Sharaa came to power and his visit comes before he heads to a Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Macron played a major role in pushing Europe and the United States to drop most sanctions on Syria. He arrived in the country on Monday night with an economic delegation, and is scheduled to sign memorandums of understanding with his counterpart as the battered country tries to lure investors to help it rebuild after 14 years of war.
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State media, citing an unnamed security official, reported that the two blasts in the heart of the capital were caused by explosive devices. A large plume of smoke could be seen from the site.
The area is on a busy street in Damascus and is near the headquarters of the tourism ministry and the Damascus national museum.
Footage widely circulated on social media showed a van and a motorcycle on fire and blood stains on the street.
The incident comes days after an explosive device was detonated in a cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 20.
The explosions are a blow for Al-Sharaa, who came to power after leading an insurgency that ousted Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
He has since pushed to assert full control and bring stability in war-torn Syria, appeal to minorities sceptical of his Islamist-led rule, and win the support of western governments who were sceptical of his past leadership of the former al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group.
His government has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule.
While Syria’s new rulers have wrestled with violence involving different groups in the country as they work to assert control, the capital has largely been peaceful during the turbulent period.
The conflict in Syria killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions. Syria’s infrastructure lies in ruins, and while other nations and businesses have made large investment pledges, the country still needs hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild and lift millions out of poverty. – AFP
