Explosions rock Damascus as French President Macron visits Syria

Explosions rock Damascus, wounding 18, as French President Macron visits Syria 1 of 4 | 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) 2 of 4 | 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) 3 of 4 | Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) 4 of 4 | Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, center, shakes hands with Gen. Vincent Giraud, Macron’s Chief of Staff, as French President Emmanuel Macron, right, as they meet in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) By OMAR ALBAM and KAREEM CHEHAYEB Updated 11:33 AM MESZ, July 7, 2026 Leer en español Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Damascus, Syria (AP) — 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. Emmanuel Macron had entered the presidential palace to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa when the explosions happened near the Four Seasons Hotel, where Syrian media report that the French president is staying. An Elysee official said Macron was safe and that his meeting with al-Sharaa was continuing. He is the first major Western leader to visit Syria since al-Sharaa came to power and his visit comes before he heads to a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Macron’s whereabouts and security. But the explosions are a blow for al-Sharaa, who came to power after leading an insurgency that ousted Bashar Assad in 2024. He has since pushed to assert full control and bring stability in war-torn Syria, appeal to minorities skeptical of his Islamist-led rule, and win the support of Western governments who were skeptical of his past as leader of the formerly al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. His government has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule. Macron arrives in Syria as first major Western leader to visit war-torn country under new leadership 2 MIN READ Anissa Helou’s new book of recipes from Lebanon spotlights villages scarred by war 4 MIN READ Trump to meet with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy and Syria’s al-Sharaa during the NATO summit 2 MIN READ Macron played a major role in pushing Europe and the United States to drop most sanctions on Syria. He arrived in the country Monday night with an economic delegation, and is scheduled to sign memorandums of understanding with his counterpart as the battered country tries to lure investors to help it rebuild after 14 years of war. The Interior Ministry in a statement reported by Syrian state media said that the two blasts in the heart of the capital were caused by explosive devices, one placed in a garbage bin and the other in a parked car. It added that four of the wounded were police officers, and no deaths were immediately reported. An investigation is currently taking place at the scene of the attack. A large plume of smoke could be seen from the site. The area is on a busy street in Damascus and is near the headquarters of the Tourism Ministry and the Damascus National Museum. Footage widely circulated on social media showed a van and a motorcycle on fire and blood stains on the street. The incident comes days after an explosive device was detonated in a cafe near the Justice Palace in Damascus, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 20. While Syria’s new rulers have wrestled with violence involving different groups in the country as they work to assert control, the capital has largely been peaceful during the turbulent period. The conflict in Syria killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions. Syria’s infrastructure lies in ruins, and while other nations and businesses have made large investment pledges, the country still needs hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild and lift millions out of poverty. Before arriving at the presidential palace, Macron met with members of Syrian civil society, though his office did not give details on who. Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers John Leicester and Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report from Paris. KAREEM CHEHAYEB Chehayeb is an Associated Press reporter in Beirut. twitter instagram mailto