18 Injured in Damascus Blasts Targeting Macron’s Hotel During Historic Visit
Two bombs exploded near the Four Seasons hotel in Damascus on Tuesday, wounding at least 18 people, as French President Emmanuel Macron arrived for the first visit by a Western leader since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Macron was not at the hotel at the time—he was meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa—and his schedule was not interrupted.
The improvised explosive devices detonated close to the hotel where Macron was reportedly staying, Syrian authorities said [191075]. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the motive remains unclear [190966]. Security forces cordoned off the area as officials assessed the situation [190938].
Macron’s office confirmed the president was safe and that his scheduled meeting with al-Sharaa would proceed as planned [190858]. The visit marks a major diplomatic shift, as Western nations had largely isolated Assad’s government during the civil war. Macron said he came “to affirm France’s commitment to the Syrian people” and to support the new leadership’s reconstruction efforts [190778].
The explosions dealt a blow to Syrian leaders’ efforts to project stability during the high-profile visit [191075].