Two explosive devices detonated in central Damascus on Tuesday morning, injuring at least 18 people just as French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at the Syrian presidential palace for a historic meeting with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in an attack that has not been claimed by any group.
What Happened
The explosions struck near the Four Seasons Hotel, where Macron had spent the night, and beside the nearby Ministry of Tourism, according to Syria's state-run SANA news agency. Syrian security officials said the blasts occurred while officers were attempting to dismantle two "primitively" made improvised explosive devices discovered during field operations — one planted inside a parked vehicle and the other hidden in a garbage container. At least 18 people were wounded, including four police officers, though the site was located "outside the security perimeter" designated for Macron's residence, the Interior Ministry stressed.
The timing was striking: the blasts came just moments before Syrian state television announced Macron's arrival at the presidential palace, and reports indicate his motorcade had passed near one of the blast sites roughly 15 minutes earlier. The Élysée Palace confirmed the French president was safe, had not personally heard the explosions, and continued his schedule as planned, proceeding directly into talks with al-Sharaa.
A Landmark, Now Overshadowed, Visit
Macron's trip marked the first visit by a Western European head of state to Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, underscoring the country's rapid geopolitical realignment under al-Sharaa, a former rebel commander who led the alliance that toppled Assad. Accompanied by a business delegation, Macron discussed regional security alongside investment and reconstruction opportunities, with plans to travel next to Ankara for a NATO summit where al-Sharaa is also expected to meet Donald Trump. For security reasons, Macron reportedly delayed publicly confirming his visit's exact date until his plane had already landed in Damascus on Monday.
Despite the disruption, Syrian officials moved quickly to seal off surrounding roads, deploy ambulances, and reassure the public and visiting delegation that the incident would not derail the diplomatic agenda.
No Claim of Responsibility Yet
As of Tuesday afternoon, no group had claimed the attack, and Syrian authorities have not named a suspect or perpetrator. Security forces have launched an investigation and a search operation to identify those responsible, according to state broadcaster Alikhbariah TV. Analysts note that the location — steps from Macron's hotel and along his motorcade's presumed route — suggests the French delegation may have been an intended target, though this remains speculative pending forensic findings.
Echoes of Last Week's Cafe Bombing
Tuesday's blasts came less than a week after a deadlier, similarly unclaimed attack: an explosion tore through a crowded cafe on al-Nasser Street in Damascus's al-Marjah district on July 2, near the Palace of Justice, killing at least nine people and wounding 20 to 22 others. That blast, too, was attributed to an "explosive device" by Syria's Interior Ministry, and investigators — despite reviewing government and private surveillance footage — had not identified a perpetrator. Al Jazeera's Damascus correspondent noted security forces have been working to uncover "sleeper cells" seeking to destabilize al-Sharaa's transitional government, though no formal link between the cafe bombing and Tuesday's twin blasts has been established.
Both attacks share key traits — improvised explosive devices, central Damascus locations near government or high-profile sites, and no claim of responsibility — which security analysts see as evidence of persistent, unresolved threats rather than a confirmed common actor. Syria's Al-Monitor and Al Jazeera reporting frames these incidents within a broader pattern: since Assad's fall, remnants of loyalist networks, ISIS cells, and other armed factions opposed to the transitional government have periodically targeted Damascus, testing the new administration's ability to secure the capital even as it seeks international legitimacy through visits like Macron's. For residents, the attacks are a stark reminder that, despite diplomatic breakthroughs, Syria's post-Assad security landscape remains fragile and contested.
Photo: Al Jazeera/Reuters