Explosion near Macron’s Damascus hotel as French president meets Syrian counterpart
By Mostafa Salem, Pierre Bairin, Sana Noor Haq, CNN
(CNN) — An explosion went off near the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus on Tuesday, where French President Emmanuel Macron had spent the night ahead of a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, according to French and Syrian media.
Macron was unharmed and was already at the Presidential Palace when the explosions occurred, the Élysée Palace said in a statement. France’s BFMTV, CNN affiliate, said he had been staying at the Four Seasons hotel.
Two separate blasts were reported in Damascus, according to state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). They occurred while security officers were trying to dismantle two explosive devices found during field operations, the agency added. At least 18 people were injured, including four police officers, SANA said.
One explosion occurred next to the Four Seasons in the heart of the capital and another blast went off beside the nearby Ministry of Tourism, a Syrian official told CNN on condition of anonymity. The hotel is regularly used by overseas visitors to Syria, including diplomats, NGO workers and journalists.
The site of the explosion was “outside the security perimeter” designated for Macron’s residence, SANA reported, citing Syria’s Ministry of Interior.
Both explosive devices were made “in a primitive way,” according to SANA. The first device was placed inside a vehicle parked on the side of the road, while the second was planted inside a garbage container, the news agency said.
Authorities launched an investigation to determine the circumstances of the attack and identify those involved, added SANA.
Macron arrived in Syria on Monday evening local time to meet the country’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa, SANA said, marking the first official visit by a Western leader to the country since the fall of the Assad regime in December, 2024. He is the third head of state to visit Syria in that time, after the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited in January, 2025 and April of this year, respectively.
The twin explosions early Tuesday took place less than a week after nine people were killed and 22 others injured in a separate attack in the Syrian capital, according to Syria’s Ministry of Health.
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CNN’s Eyad Kourdi and Sarah Tamimi contributed reporting.
