Two explosions rocked Damascus on Tuesday, Juy 7th near the Four Seasons Hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying, wounding at least 18 people on the second day of his historic visit. Journalists from AFP heard the blasts and witnessed a plume of smoke rising near the scene as emergency services rushed to the area. A Syrian security source stated that one bomb was hidden in a dumpster and another inside a vehicle.
The French president had already left the premises prior to the explosions to travel to the presidential palace. An AFP team later saw him arrive safely for a scheduled meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa. The blasts wounded 18 individuals, including four police officers, according to Syrian state media, while local witnesses reported seeing injured traffic police before security forces evacuated and closed all surrounding roads.
The Elysée Palace confirmed that Macron, the first Western European leader to visit Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in 2024, would proceed with his trip despite the security threat.
The visit had been kept strictly confidential, with the French president postponing the official announcement until his plane landed on Monday. This incident marks the second bombing in Damascus within a week, following a café explosion on Thursday that left 10 people dead.
Macron’s itinerary focuses heavily on post-war reconstruction, unity, and economic partnerships. This diplomatic push follows a May 2025 meeting in France where Macron hosted Sharaa, which preceded the Syrian leader’s subsequent trip to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.
Photo: France’s President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrive ahead of their meeting at the People’s Palace in Damascus on July 7, 2026.
