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.
Marcon 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). 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.
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.
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.
CNN’s Eyad Kourdi and Sarah Tamimi contributed reporting.
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