Explosions reported near the Four Seasons Hotel, where the French president was meant to be staying
Explosions rocked Damascus on Tuesday as France’s president met with his Syrian counterpart in a landmark visit, wounding at least 18 people, Syria’s Interior Ministry said.
“Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria,” Macron said in a post on X hours after the deadly explosions. “This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage and determination.”
The explosions represent a challenge to al-Sharaa, who came to power after leading an insurgency that ousted Bashar al-Assad in 2024 and ending the country’s 14-year uprising turned civil war. Assad’s dynasty ruled Syria with an iron fist for half a century.
Al-Sharaa has since pushed to assert full control over and bring stability to war-torn Syria, appeal to minorities sceptical of his Islamist-led rule, and win the support of Western governments who were concerned about his past leadership of the formerly al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. His government has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule.