Explosions rock Damascus on second day of Macron's visit to Syria

DAMASCUS

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Two explosions took place in central Damascus on July 7 near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron spent the night, a Syrian security source told AFP.

One of the bombs was placed in a dumpster and the other in a vehicle near the Four Seasons Hotel, the source said.

Macron is safe, the Elysee palace said after blasts near the Damascus hotel, and will pursue his visit as normal.

Macron had left the hotel when the explosions took place, and is currently in the Syrian presidential palace for a meeting with his counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa and their respective delegations, followed by a one-on-one meeting with Sharaa, according to the French presidency.

The two leaders are expected to attend a ceremony to sign several bilateral agreements.

No further details were immediately released about the agenda of the talks.

The visit marks the first visit by a Western leader to Syria since the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024.

The visit comes amid growing engagement between Paris and Damascus following al-Sharaa's visit to France in May 2025, his first trip to a European and Western country since assuming office.

The renewed diplomatic contacts reflect France's efforts to expand its political and economic role in Syria and position itself at the forefront of Western engagement with Damascus.