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Explosions Shake Damascus during Macron's visit to Syria; 18 wounded
At least 18 people were wounded after two explosive devices exploded in the Syrian capital, Damascus on Tuesday, July 7, during Macron's visit to the country for talks with President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Syria's Interior Ministry said four police officers were among those injured, according to the state news agency SANA.
Television footage showed plumes of smoke rising above the city. Other footage shared online and verified by Al Jazeera showed a vehicle on fire.
The explosions occurred near the Ministry of Tourism and a hotel where Macron was expected to stay during his visit, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent.
Macron’s office said the president, who was on his way to meet al-Sharaa, did not hear the blasts, and the visit continued as normal.
The Interior Ministry told SANA that the blasts took place “outside the security zone designated for the French President’s residence, and did not pose any direct threat to the residence or the official visit programme, which is proceeding according to the planned schedule”.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the two explosive devices were improvised. One was placed inside a vehicle parked along the roadside, while the other was concealed in a trash container,” the Interior Ministry said, as cited by SANA.
The ministry said the explosives detonated after security forces discovered them and sent specialists to dismantle them.
“Investigations are under way to establish the circumstances of the attack and identify those responsible,” it added.
An Al Jazeera correspondent said the explosions occurred despite “unprecedented” security measures for the first visit by a European leader to Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in late 2024.
The incident “reminds us how sensitive and fragile the security situation is here in the country,” Hitto said.
A security official told Al Jazeera that the explosions happened in an area busy with civilians, calling it “a criminal act”.
Last week, an explosion at a café in central Damascus killed at least 10 people and wounded 20 others, according to Syria’s Ministry of Health.
In May 2025, Macron hosted al-Sharaa on his first official visit to a European country, a move that preceded the Syrian leader’s trip to Washington last year to meet US President Donald Trump.
