Twin Explosions Wound 18 Near Four Seasons Hotel During French President Emmanuel Macron’s Damascus Visit

Twin explosions struck central Damascus near the Four Seasons Hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during his official visit, as Syrian state media and Syria’s interior ministry said the blasts wounded at least 18 people, including four police officers.

“Macron says Syria must not be destabilised after bombs wound 18 French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Tuesday that Syria must not be destabilised after twin bomb attacks near the Damascus hotel where he spent the night, during a landmark state visit to a country emerging from years of civil war”

Al-Monitor

The Times of Israel reported that the explosions happened near the Four Seasons Hotel as Macron entered the presidential palace to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, and that an Elysee official said Macron was safe and his meeting was continuing.

Al-Monitor

International Business Times said Syria’s Interior Ministry reported the blasts struck near the Ministry of Tourism and a hotel earmarked for Macron’s visit, while officials said the explosions occurred outside the designated security zone for the French president’s residence and posed no direct threat to him.

International Business Times also reported that Syrian authorities said preliminary findings indicated the two devices were improvised explosives, with one planted inside a vehicle parked along the roadside and the other concealed inside a trash container.

Macron’s office said the president did not hear the blasts and was already en route to meet al-Sharaa at the People’s Palace when they occurred, and his visit continued as scheduled.

Macron warned during a joint press conference that Syria must not be destabilised after the twin bomb attacks near the Damascus hotel where he spent the night, telling reporters we must "not let ourselves be destabilised" by such attacks.

Al-Monitor reported that Sharaa saluted Macron’s "courage" for carrying on with his visit despite the bombings, as Syria’s interior ministry said one bomb had been placed inside a car parked on the side of a road and the second was planted in a garbage container.

International Business Times

Al-Monitor said Syria state media reported the blasts wounded 18 people, including four police officers, and that the interior ministry said they exploded "while preparations were underway" to dismantle them.

The Times of Israel said Macron wrote on X, “Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria. “This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage, and determination. My visit continues,” he wrote.

The Times of Israel also said the Interior Ministry statement reported by Syrian state media added that no deaths were immediately reported and that an investigation was taking place at the scene of the attack.

The attack came as Macron’s visit continued despite the blasts, with Al-Monitor saying the Elysee Palace said Macron would continue his trip until his expected departure on Tuesday evening for a NATO summit in Ankara and talks there the following day with Turkey’s president.

“Two explosive devices detonated in Damascus on Tuesday as French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Syrian capital, wounding at least 18 people, including four police officers, in an attack that landed near the hotel where Macron had been scheduled to stay”

International Business Times

International Business Times said Syrian authorities said an investigation into the blasts was underway and that officials would face pressure to identify a perpetrator and motive following two attacks in Damascus within the span of a week.

International Business Times also described a Syrian security official calling the incident "a criminal act" that struck an area busy with civilians, while Damascus-based security analyst Ismat al-Absi said it remained uncertain whether the devices had targeted Macron’s convoy directly but that the apparent aim was "to create unrest and send a negative message."

Kurdistan24 reported that Syria and France unveiled a vision to make Damascus a regional transit and logistics hub, with AFP saying al-Sharaa described Syria’s geographic importance as reinforced by disruptions affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Kurdistan24 said AFP reported that Macron echoed that objective, saying he wants Syria to develop into a long-term regional platform where logistics networks, energy infrastructure and digital connectivity projects can expand, even as the security incident underscored challenges for Syria’s recovery.