Explosions Wound at Least 18 in Damascus During Macron's Landmark Syria Visit

Two explosions struck central Damascus on Tuesday as French President Emmanuel Macron met Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, wounding at least 18 people including four police officers, according to Syrian authorities cited by The Hindu. The blasts occurred near the Four Seasons hotel where Macron had spent the night, The New York Times reported, and French officials said Macron was unhurt and that his schedule would continue as planned. Syrian accounts described two improvised devices, one placed in a parked car and another in a garbage container.

The visit is a rare appearance by a Western head of state in Damascus since al-Sharaa's forces took power, and Macron used it to tour the Umayyad Mosque alongside the Syrian leader, Euronews reported. State outlets across the region carried the news prominently, with Russia's TASS noting reports of casualties from the regional broadcaster Al Hadath. No group immediately claimed responsibility, and the attack followed a bombing days earlier near a Damascus cafe that killed at least ten people.

The combination of a high-profile diplomatic opening and a security failure shows the fragility of Syria's transition. Western capitals are weighing sanctions relief and reconstruction support that would draw the country back into global trade and finance, and each attack raises the question of whether the new government can guarantee the stability those steps require.