Two explosions near the Ministry of Tourism in Syria’s capital, Damascus, on Tuesday afternoon left 18 people injured, including four police officers. The blasts occurred just before a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the presidential palace. Macron, the first top European leader to visit Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, arrived in Damascus on Monday.
The Syrian Interior Ministry reported that the Internal Security Forces discovered two explosive devices during their field operations. Despite starting the dismantling process, the devices exploded, causing injuries. The ministry stated that the explosives were of a primitive nature, with one placed in a car by the roadside and the other inside a garbage container. Investigations are ongoing to determine the attackers’ identities and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Media outlets revealed that the explosions occurred near the hotel where Macron is staying. The French President’s office confirmed his safety and the continuation of his trip. In a separate incident on July 3, a bombing at a cafe close to the Justice Palace in central Damascus resulted in nine deaths and 20 injuries. Authorities described it as a terrorist attack involving an improvised explosive device packed with metal fragments.
Syrian authorities recently thwarted an attempt to bomb a passenger bus in a Damascus suburb, following an attack that wounded three security personnel at a checkpoint in Jaramana.
