Twin Bomb Blasts Strike Near Damascus Hotel Housing French President Macron

Twin improvised explosive devices detonated near a Damascus hotel early Tuesday, striking a busy commercial sector where French President Emmanuel Macron had spent the night.

The coordinated blasts wounded 18 individuals outside the Four Seasons hotel.

The French delegation reported that Macron was unharmed and did not hear the explosions from his location.

Detonations occurred shortly after the French leader’s motorcade departed the facility for a scheduled meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The explosions struck an area situated between the national museum and the Syrian Tourism Ministry.

Security Cordon Breach

Syrian security forces indicated the crude devices were positioned just outside the established perimeter protecting the visiting head of state.

One explosive was concealed in a roadside vehicle, while the second was placed in a waste receptacle.

The initial blast generated visible smoke and flames shortly after the presidential convoy cleared the area.

A subsequent detonation struck meters away near a parked ambulance as approximately two dozen bystanders gathered at the scene.

Interior Ministry personnel had reportedly identified the threats and were preparing defusal operations when the explosives triggered.

Authorities have initiated search operations to locate the perpetrators.

Persistent Instability

The attack disrupted the first official trip by a European Union head of state to Damascus since Sharaa ousted Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

Macron used the social media platform X to affirm that his itinerary remains unchanged, stating that his engagement with Syrian civil society would proceed.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s incident. The bombing follows a similar unclaimed attack at a local cafe last week that resulted in nine fatalities and 20 injuries.

Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander who led the insurgency during a 13-year civil war, has attempted to consolidate international ties and stabilize the country.

His administration continues to face armed resistance from rival factions.

The Islamic State declared a renewed operational phase against the current Damascus government in February.

Recent factional violence pitting state forces against minority groups also resulted in hundreds of casualties last year, complicating ongoing stabilization efforts.