Explosions Reported in Damascus During French President's Visit
AFP reported that the sound of the explosion was heard while Macron was in Damascus.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Two explosions were heard in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Tuesday during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist at the scene.
AFP reported that the blasts occurred while Macron was in Damascus.
A Syrian security source later told the agency that the explosions took place near the Four Seasons Hotel in central Damascus, where the French president had spent the night.
According to the source, one explosive device had been concealed in a dumpster and another in a nearby vehicle.
By the time the explosions occurred, Macron had already departed the hotel for the presidential palace, where he was meeting Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, AFP reported.
Reuters also reported that several improvised explosive devices (IEDs) detonated near the hotel early Tuesday morning.
The hotel is located close to the Syrian Ministry of Tourism headquarters, where Macron stayed overnight.
According to Syrian media cited by Reuters, Macron and his delegation had left the hotel approximately 15 minutes before the explosions.
Preliminary reports indicated that several people were injured in the blasts.
In an official statement, the Syrian Ministry of Interior disclosed that early Tuesday morning, internal security forces discovered two IEDs near the Ministry of Tourism building. The devices detonated while bomb disposal units were attempting to defuse them.
The Ministry indicated that both bombs were crudely constructed; the first was planted inside a vehicle parked on the side of the road, while the second was concealed inside a garbage bin.
The statement clarified that the location of the explosions fell outside the designated security perimeter established for French President Emmanuel Macron’s residence, and therefore posed no direct threat to him.
The Ministry of Interior confirmed that the two explosions near the Ministry of Tourism in the capital injured 18 people, including four police officers.
The Ministry emphasized that the French President's visit will proceed precisely as scheduled.
The French presidency, the Élysée Palace, later confirmed that Macron and his delegation were safe, adding that they neither heard nor were affected by the explosions.
Despite the incident, Macron's official program proceeded as scheduled. Later on Tuesday, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa formally received the French president at the Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa receives French President Emmanuel Macron at the Presidential Palace in Damascus following the reported explosions near the hotel where Macron had been staying earlier Tuesday.
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) July 7, 2026
The meeting comes after Reuters reported that several improvised… pic.twitter.com/ViCA6I2wUL
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday for the first visit by a Western European head of state since Syria's new authorities took power in 2024, marking a significant milestone in the country's efforts to restore diplomatic ties with the international community.
Macron was welcomed at the airport by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
Ahead of the visit, the French presidency said Macron would advocate for "a free, pluralist Syria that respects each of its components" while encouraging Damascus to play a constructive role in easing tensions across the Middle East.
The visit comes as Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa continues efforts to rebuild Syria's international standing and revive the war-ravaged country's economy following the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
The last French president to visit Syria was Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009, before Assad's violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011 triggered a civil war that claimed more than half a million lives and devastated much of the country's infrastructure and industry.
Syrian state news agency SANA described Macron's visit as "a pivotal step in the process of restoring Syria's international presence."
The visit follows Macron's decision in May 2025 to host Sharaa in Paris for the Syrian leader's first official visit to a European country, a diplomatic breakthrough that preceded Sharaa's subsequent trip to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.
The report was updated on Tuesday, Jul. 7, 2026, at 11:11am.
The report was updated again on Tuesday Jul. 7, 2026, at 12:26pm.